by Eve R. Hart
He sounded sure even in his pain.
“But I left her. I knew better than to leave her.” Couldn’t tell you why I wasn’t letting it go. Why I kept having to dig my hole a little deeper like I was hoping they’d finally see the truth and leave my ass there with no way to get out.
“And she told me how you did everything to save her. Cami’s not dumb, she knows you took a worse beating just so Monty wouldn’t go after her.” He drew in a long breath. “You saved her. You kept my love and my unborn child safe. Whatever the circumstances of how it came to be, you did that.”
“Besides,” Cable said, capturing my attention. “Something was coming either way. If they hadn’t gotten you and Cami, Claire might not have made it out. My son might be gone. I’m not saying I’m happy about what happened, but since shit was going to happen anyway, I’m glad you were there.”
Yeah, alright.
I hadn’t really looked at it that way. Didn’t make that shit right, and I wasn’t trying to say I was some kind of savior, but I was glad I’d been there too.
I was glad we all fuckin’ made it out alive.
And now, I was real glad that they wanted me to be a part of the table.
I made it out.
We all did.
Now it was time to heal and move the fuck on.
And I was gonna help my club do that with a bright, new patch over my chest.
It meant something… I fuckin’ meant something.
For the first time in my life, I was starting to see it.
I had my club to thank for that.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Sketch
Iron ended shit after I accepted my patch and my brothers’ words. The meeting had only been about me.
I couldn’t even tell you the relief I felt flowing through me.
And you know what else was flowing through me?
Pride.
Yeah, motherfuckin’ pride.
I felt it more than I had ever before.
It was good enough for me just being part of the club. Just enough knowing that I was a brother, that I had a place.
But you know what I realized? It was okay for things to be better than good enough. The fuckin’ sky was the limit and all that shit.
Don’t worry, I wasn’t getting a big head or anything.
I was simply happy.
Like really happy and feeling like for the first time in my life, I deserved to have that feeling.
Anyway.
Y’all got it, right?
I had my new patch. Life was nearly perfect. I got a good woman at my side. And all that shit.
So now I just had to wait for Gwen to work her magic on my cut. Knight had called her up to sew my new patch on, not even letting me set foot downstairs before it was done.
As soon as Gwen was done, I was going to find my woman and tell her the good news.
I knew she’d sensed the shit I’d been trying to hide from her. She was good that way. And though she knew there was something more pressing down on me, she hadn’t pushed me to talk about it. So fuck yeah. She trusted me. I finally got that. She trusted that I’d come talk to her when I was good and ready.
And guess what, I trusted her too.
I trusted that she really did love me and that she meant it when she said she wasn’t gonna leave me. I finally let it in that Melissa was strong enough and amazing enough to stick by my side. And that she wanted to, too.
While I waited for Gwen to get done, everyone from the table had decided to move into Iron’s apartment. It was like we were having a little party— which was for me. Prez got us all drinks and they toasted me. I couldn’t stop smiling, even as I downed my shot of whiskey.
“Here you go, Sketch,” Gwen said as she stood up from Iron’s couch.
I turned around and she helped me into my cut. I couldn’t help it, I turned back around and hugged the hell outta her, lifting her up just enough for her toes to leave the ground.
She laughed and patted my back like she thought I was silly as fuck. I set her down quick once I saw the look on Knight’s face. Then I put my hands up to let him know I was backing off.
I knew better, but fuck it.
Then again, I couldn’t really blame him since I could see myself being like that with my woman.
“Okay, I’m gonna go find Melissa,” I said and shot out the door. I barely heard Gwen saying that she was in the kitchen.
The moment I walked into the kitchen, I thought it was a second party for me since it was full of all the women moving around like crazy making a bunch of food. For a second, I got distracted and wanted to eat.
But then I saw her and suddenly I forgot about all the food. She turned around, lookin’ fine as hell, even though her face was full of worry. I smiled, real big, and that seemed to be the thing that set her at ease.
Even though she was probably too far away to read what was on my chest, I couldn’t help but point at my patch. And yeah, the smile didn’t once slip from my face.
I had a good idea she didn’t really know what all of it meant, but she wasn’t dumb, she picked up on the fact that something big had happened.
I held out my arms and she came running over to me.
I wrapped my arms around her tight and buried my face in her neck. That scent was still there. It was still the same, reminding me that I was home.
I swore all the women in the background sighed like this was some kinda romance movie.
“I’m losing man points here,” I whispered into my woman’s neck, causing her to laugh.
“So you need to yell something about needing to take me and then carry me off like some kind of caveman?” she asked with cute as fuck humor in her tone. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I loved how much she got me.
“Gotta fuck now,” I called out as I broke away.
My hand wrapped around her wrist. She laughed hard as I pulled her out of the kitchen like I was in a rush to get her naked. ‘Cause I was.
“Sketch!” She was still laughing as she tried to scold me. Nah, I was on to her. She wanted me.
Inside my room, I slammed the door behind us.
Then I took her into my arms and kissed the fuck outta her.
That sweet little moan that slipped up her throat let me know I was doing it right. Not that I had any doubts. But there was something about it that made me melt.
Yeah, you read that right.
Melt.
That was what this woman did to me.
And now that I knew I wasn’t about to lose everything, I was done holding back.
I had become something to be proud of. Which, maybe some people wouldn’t have seen it that way, but I sure as fuck did. I was someone. I had people that cared about me enough to make me feel special. They trusted me just as much as I trusted them. And now I knew that even if I fucked up, they’d be with me to get through it.
I still didn’t feel right about it. I’d blame myself for a long time, I would. Yeah, there had been good words said to me up in that room but I wasn’t sure I was really hearing them yet. I’d lived long enough and been through enough shit by now to know that most of the time, words didn’t mean shit. So I wouldn’t feel even halfway right until I saw that the club would come out okay in the end.
That might take years.
But the thing was, I’d be around for years.
So with any luck, I’d get to see the moment when it happened.
“Stay there,” I said as I pulled away from her.
She blinked at me but didn’t move.
There was a slight nervous smile teasing her lips.
I took my time stripping her down, but I didn’t touch her. Didn’t lay all those kisses on her skin like I really wanted to.
Once I had her down to her panties and nothing else, I slipped out of my cut.
Then, because I had to see what she looked like in it, I held it open so she could put her arms in. It settled on her shoulders and she pulled it to cover her tits.
I let out a long whistle as I stepped back, my eyes roaming over every part of her. That made her cheeks turn red and suddenly, my woman was shy. But the kind of shy where she really liked it, you know, just afraid to admit it.
“Hot as fuck!” I told her with a smile wide on my face.
She was mine. All fuckin’ mine.
Now I let myself touch her.
And kiss her.
And have her.
She must have wanted me bad because she was ripping off my shirt like there was no tomorrow. Then she was kissing all over my chest, working her way down as she went to her knees.
Her hands went to my pants and she began to work them down my legs, dragging my boxers along with them.
I blinked down at the sight in front of me.
Her hand wrapped around my cock and she gripped me good. I could see it in her eyes what she was planning on doing to me.
It was hot, but it also had me swallowing really hard.
Could I go through with this?
Could I let her do this and be alright after?
Sure, I’d had my dick sucked before, but I’d never planned on kissing any of them after. And it wasn’t like I came with them anyway. But still, even the taste of dick wasn’t something I could handle, didn’t matter if it was my own.
“Lis,” I said as I wrapped my hand around her upper arm to stop her. Her eyes were on mine and I could see the confusion filling them. “This is gonna come off as me being a dick, but I promise I don’t mean it that way. You can’t. You do that and I know I won’t be able to hold myself back. If I do that, well, then I won’t be able to kiss you. And I like kissing you a fuck of a lot.”
I couldn’t. It was shitty of me and I knew it. How did I expect a woman to take me and not want to kiss her after? And I should have wanted to try for her, but I just couldn’t. Because what if that was something I couldn’t get over? What if my past came crashing down on me and that was all I ended up seeing every time I looked at her? I wouldn’t take that chance. Not with the most precious thing in my life.
It didn’t take her any time to get it. See, she was smart like that. Instead of getting up like I thought she would, she just smiled up at me.
“Then I’ll brush my teeth,” she told me as if it wasn’t even a big deal.
I couldn’t believe this woman was real. When she said shit like that, it really made me wonder what the fuck I’d done to deserve someone like her.
The idea wasn’t a bad one. It could work. But right now, I just needed to be inside her.
I pulled her up, promised I’d let her suck me off later if she really wanted to, and then kissed her.
She pushed me on the bed and pulled my pants all the way off, taking my shoes with them. Then she did this sexy little wiggle to get out of her panties. I watched her tits sway under my cut, nearly drooling at the sight. Her lips met my hip and I shivered at the soft touch. She worked her way up my chest slowly until she was settled on top of me. She put a foil pack between her teeth and I could only guess that she’d grabbed it out of my pocket when she took off my pants.
Couldn’t explain how beautiful the angel sitting on top of me was. I just couldn’t. No fuckin’ words would do it justice. I was completely at her mercy.
And how I fuckin’ loved it.
She tore that package open like she couldn’t wait any longer. Now she was looking fierce and hungry.
Yeah, hungry for my cock.
Couldn’t blame her, right?
Ha ha!
Okay, where was I?
She rolled it down my shaft and wasted no time lining me up. Her back arched as she sunk down on my cock, giving me a little peek at her covered tits as the flap of my cut fell away some.
She rode me like a goddess. Like a magical creature sent only for me. Which I was convinced she was now.
It wasn’t long before I felt my whole body start to tingle. I gripped her hips and drove it home, making sure she came when I did.
My name came out of her mouth so loud I woulda bet the whole compound heard it.
No shame, I smiled wide.
Her hands plastered themselves to my chest and she remained still, my cock still deep inside of her even though we were both done. Yeah, I had to get up and toss the rubber but I wouldn’t take this away from her. Or myself, if I had to be honest.
Because as she looked down at me, she looked as if she was at peace. And I wasn’t talking about that sated, sexed-out, bliss shit. This wasn’t something that was going to fade away after we came down. This was real, and she was looking like that as she held my gaze.
I couldn’t lie, and I couldn’t explain why it happened, but my heart was beating like crazy in my chest.
“I love you,” she whispered, her voice all soft and sweet. “I was so scared I’d lose you because of the things you’ve been worried about. But now I can see that things are the way they are supposed to be and you’re happy.”
“Fuck yeah, I am,” I blurted out with force in my tone.
My gaze fell to where my hand was still resting on her hip. My thumb brushed back and forth over that little dip inside her hipbone. Wasn’t sure why I was focused on that one thing, but I couldn’t seem to look away as everything settled around me. A good kind of settled. I didn’t feel heavy. I didn’t feel like I wished the world would end. This happiness that I felt inside was real. I wasn’t hiding behind a false smile and it felt really fuckin’ good.
“I love you, Lis. I don’t know if you get how much that means to me.” I chewed on my bottom lip as I tried to get my words together. She stayed quiet and patiently waited. “That I can love. That I found you to love. Spent a long time thinking I wasn’t worth nothing. But you made me see that I am. You made me feel like I could be whole, you know? That even though I’m fucked up, yeah, because there’s no denying that, but it’s alright that I am.”
I forced my gaze to meet hers. I was still unsure about opening up. It wasn’t easy for me but I was trying.
For her, I’d do anything.
She said nothing, but she didn’t need to because I could see everything in that look on her face.
Then she leaned down and kissed me, taking my lips sweetly and giving me her love in something other than words.
She was damn good at that.
And maybe I needed that more than her tellin’ me.
“I’m getting you a fuckin’ leather piece,” I told her, my hand sliding inside the flap of my cut so I could gently cup her tit. “It’s gonna say Property of Sketch real big on the back. Hope you’re alright with that.”
She laughed, her pussy squeezing my still half-hard cock, making it wake up again.
“I’ll wear it with pride,” she told me and the smile on her face was nothing but magical.
“Fuck yeah. And I’m gonna fuck you every time you wear it.”
“So… I’m basically never going to be able to take it off. That’s what you’re saying, right?”
“Think you’re so funny. Fuck, yeah, I am.”
And she laughed again.
It made me realize that I was looking forward to a lifetime of hearing that sound. And her wearing my name on her back, of course.
“Um, so there’s a party. No one really said what was going on, but I am assuming it’s for you since you have that new looking patch. I’m thinking we should probably get cleaned up and head down there.”
“What?!” I asked, confusion and shock in my tone. I could hardly believe how good this day had turned out.
“Well, we were all cooking in the kitchen. Gwen, I think that is her name, she brought a bunch of food and the ladies and I have been making all kinds of things. They didn’t really say much, but I could tell they were getting ready for a big celebration.”
“Damn, figured they woulda known.”
Yeah, club business my ass. Some of the brothers couldn’t keep their mouths shut. Guess I understood it a little more now.
So we rolled out of bed and took a shower.
&nb
sp; Together.
All domestic and shit.
And I fuckin’ loved it. Ate every single minute of it up.
We walked out of my room an hour later since Lis wanted to look good. I didn’t mind waiting. Women needed time to feel pretty, because it didn’t matter how many times you told them they were fine as fuck, they had to feel it. So, hell no, I didn’t mind waiting. Besides, she wasn’t just getting all pretty for herself and I knew it. She was going to be on my arm tonight and so she was getting fancy for me. How the hell could I hate that shit? Nah, never.
I thought she was beautiful no matter what, but she was looking extra by the time we headed downstairs.
“I feel like I’m the chick in She’s All That. I mean, without the total makeover shit. But I imagine this was what she was feelin’ when she walked down those stairs.”
Don’t ask me why I said that shit out loud. Sometimes I thought shit like that, but I kept it to myself. Yeah, I watched those kinda movies. It was like I’d spent the last few years catching up on the world that I’d missed while I’d been trying to survive. I seemed to be stuck in those movies from the late nineties and early two thousand. They just hit me in the chest when I watched them and I couldn’t get enough.
But anyway.
Lis just looked at me out of the corner of her eye. But I saw the small curve that wobbled the corner of her mouth. She knew what I was talking about.
“If you never changed, I’d be happy with that,” she whispered and kissed me on the cheek.
Well, good, because I probably wasn’t going to do a whole lot of changing.
I pulled her into my side and walked to where a small group of brothers had gathered in the lot between the two buildings.
The grill was already going.
The women were running back and forth, dragging out all that delicious food they’d made.
Hoots and hollers rose up when they saw me and believe it or not, I actually felt a little shy about all the attention.
But I embraced it. Just like I embraced all the love they gave me in way of back slaps and chin lifts.