Tray (A Hell's Harlem Novel Book 2)

by J. M. Walker

  “It’s your fault.” I reached behind us, grabbing onto the waist of his jeans, and forcing him deeper.

  “How is it my fault?” He pushed me forward, spreading my legs with his knees, and powering into me.

  “B-because …” I couldn’t form a coherent sentence while he was balls deep inside my ass.

  “Oh, little girl. I’m fucking you so damn hard, you can’t even speak.” He kissed my shoulder. “Remember your safe word.”

  “ARE YOU SORE?”

  I smiled softly, playing with the bubbles floating on top of the water. “A little.”

  “Good.”

  I laughed. “You’re enjoying that, aren’t you?”

  A smug grin spread on Tray’s handsome face. “I am.” He kissed my knee before lying back against the other side of the tub. It was small but big enough for the both of us.

  A flutter of ease washed over me. So many firsts. So many new beginnings. All because of the man sitting across from me. I had never experienced anything like him. He opened up something dark. Something feral inside of me. From the first moment I felt him inside of me, I wanted more.

  “Did I hurt you?” he asked, his gaze moving back and forth over my face.

  Sitting up, I moved to his end of the tub and straddled his lap. “Not in the way you think.” I cupped his cheek, placing a soft peck on his mouth. “I can feel you. Every time I move. Every time I breathe.” I grinned. “Every time I blink.”

  His eyes darkened. Pushing his cheek into my palm, he placed a soft peck on it.

  “So, you’ve never been with a virgin?” I asked. “Before me?”

  His thumb brushed over my dark nipple, an electric charge rumbling through me at the soft contact. “No.”

  “I guess there are several firsts for both of us then,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. Something had switched inside of him. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why are you still single?” I didn’t want to be nosy, but the guy was good-looking, nice, and seemed to care deeply. I was surprised someone hadn’t snatched him up already.

  “There’s never been anyone I wanted to commit to.”

  My eyes snapped to his. “Not even Catch?”

  Tray’s jaw clenched. “No.”

  “Have you liked other men?” I asked, running my hand over his strong shoulder that the tattoo of his monster had latched on to.

  “No. It’s hard to explain. With Catch, it was safe. I knew what I was getting. I didn’t want a relationship. I told him that before we messed around. He gave but I didn’t. We never fucked as much as he hinted for more. Not that I have a problem with it, it was just too much for me. He’s my best friend.”

  “And you didn’t want to ruin that friendship,” I added.

  “Yeah but I think I did that already by kicking him out the last time.” Tray sighed, running his fingers through his dark hair. “I’m an asshole but you’re the only one who keeps coming back for more.”

  “Maybe I’m a sucker for punishment.” I shrugged. “I’ve had men watching over me my whole life. If it wasn’t my dad, it was one of his club brothers. Now that my own brother is older, he does the same. I always have someone watching me and it pisses me off. I know they’re trying to keep me safe. I know my dad isn’t a good guy and there are people who are out to get him and use me for leverage or as bait. Or worse.” I brushed the back of my knuckles over his hard abs, watching the way they twitched beneath my touch. “I get it. I do, but it doesn’t mean I like it.”

  “So, are you using me out of rebellion?”

  “What?” I laughed. “Seriously? You think I’m that kind of girl?”

  His face remained impassive. “How would I know?”

  I pushed out of his grasp. “Okay, it may look like it but that’s not why I’m with you.” I rose to my full height and stepped out of the tub. “You don’t have to be a dick about it either.”

  “Stop being so damn defensive.” He came up behind me and spun me in his arms. “I’m only asking because I’ve never done this before. I don’t do relationship shit. Hell, I don’t even date but I wanted to date you. I still do. I want more. Even your brother is fighting for us and making it so we can actually spend time together. That must mean something to you.”

  Grabbing the folded-up towel off the counter, I wrapped it around us. “It does mean something to me.”

  Tray pinched my chin, forcing me to meet his dark stare. “Tell me what it means to you.”

  I licked my lips. “It means I want more.”

  “Why?” He ripped the towel from around us, leaving both of us bare and exposed.

  I shivered at the intensity in his heated gaze. “I like this. I like you. I’m not in this because you’re the first man to stand up to my father. I’m not with you because I wanted to rebel and lose my virginity to the first guy who wasn’t a pussy. We have a connection. I felt it the moment I bumped into you at the shop. I know you felt it too.”

  Tray cupped my ass, lifting me in his arms and carried me out of the bathroom.

  “Tray?” I ran my fingers through his wet hair. “I mean it.”

  “I know, Beauty.” He laid me gently on the bed, pulling me beneath him. “I felt that connection too. I’ve been fucked over by many women. It seems like they just had a bad boy itch to scratch. Fantasy type shit but not you.”

  “Trust me.” I laughed. “I would be totally fine if you weren’t a biker.”

  “I’m not patched in. You say the word and I won’t ever be either.”

  My heart jumped to my throat. “What are you saying?”

  Tray petted a hand over my head. “I’m saying that if you didn’t want me in the biker life, I wouldn’t be. Greyson would understand. He would give me shit about it only because it’s what we do but I know if his wife told him to retire as president, he would. Not that she would do that anyway. Eve’s cool shit.”

  “I like her,” I murmured. “But I would never ask that of you. It’s not my place. The biker life came before me.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Do I know what’s going to happen between us?” He shook his head. “I don’t but I know I like this. I like you.” He kissed me softly on the mouth. “I like you a lot, Zillah.”

  “I like you too, Tray.” I cupped his cheek, staring up at the man who had invaded not only my head, but my body as well, for nearly two months.

  “As much as I would like to spend the rest of the day like this, we need sleep.” Tray laid down beside me and pulled the covers up and over us. “You should also call your father today.”

  “Do I have to?” I grumbled, wrapping his arm around me.

  “Yeah, baby.” Tray kissed the back of my neck. “You do. We need to know what the hell is going on. I’m hoping he has nothing to do with this but he’s your dad and clearly he’s pissed that we’re sleeping together.”

  “I don’t care what he thinks. I’m not losing you.”

  “I appreciate that, Beauty.” Tray cupped my breast and placed a soft peck on my shoulder. “But he’s your dad. You do care what he thinks. And I respect that.”

  I swallowed hard. “I’m a big girl.” A shuddered sigh left me. Turning to Tray, I ran my fingers over the tattoos on his chest. “No matter what I do, he still looks at me like a little girl. I bet they wouldn’t even notice if I never went home.”

  Tray chuckled. “They would and if they’re anything like us, they would burn up the motherfucking world to find you.”

  “Well I never asked to be born into this damn life,” I snapped.

  Tray raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, well I never asked to fall in love with you either, but I have, and as much as it’ll kill me, I’ll send you back to your father if I have to.”

  “That doesn’t even make sense. My father …” My head whipped around. “You’re falling in love with me?”

  Tray gave me a soft smile, his gaze burning into mine. “Yeah. I guess I am.”

  “You guess?” I pushed him back and
straddled his lap. “Or you’re actually falling in love with me?”

  He sat up, leaned against the headboard, and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I’m not falling in love with you. I have fallen in love with you. Your sass. Your quirks. Your fucking smell.” He grew hard beneath me. “All of it.”

  My heart started racing. “Is that why you lost your shit and shoved me into your closet?”

  “I would die first before I let something happen to you.” He leaned his forehead against mine, running his hands up and down my arms.

  “Tray?” I brushed my thumb over the piercing in his belly button.

  “Yeah, Beauty?”

  “I’m falling in love with you too.” My heart jumped that this was actually happening to me. First man I had been with and I fell in love with him.

  Tray kissed my nose, his grip on my arms tightening.

  “I feel like something’s going to happen, though.” I met his dark gaze then. “You know life isn’t easy. This.” I waved a hand between us. “Isn’t easy. Something is bound to happen.”

  I could feel it in the marrow of my bones. It was only a matter of when but something big, something bad, was going to rip through our world. And I wasn’t sure if we could survive it.

  (Tray)

  I agreed with her. Living the way we did, even though Zillah wasn’t directly in the MC life, shit happened because of who we were or who we were associated with. Because of who Zillah’s father was, she had an even bigger target on her back. I wasn’t sure if she knew that either.

  I had meant what I said to her. I was in love with her. The confession had tumbled from my lips but as soon as I said it, I couldn’t take them back and I found that I didn’t want to, either. I did love her. I loved her with everything in me. What we had was fast and hard, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

  Later that day, I was in the gym. I had left Zillah in my bed. She was sound asleep, after passing out from utter exhaustion. She had wanted to pass out from pleasure. Being too tired to keep her eyes open. I had made a mental note when she first told me in the beginning that I would use her good and hard. Well, I did. And as tired as I was myself, I couldn’t sleep.

  It was still early in the evening and I was antsy. Shadow hadn’t contacted Zillah. She tried calling him but wasn’t able to get an answer. Even her brother left her alone. And it didn’t sit well with me. If it were us, we would have shown up at the boyfriend’s place and dragged Zillah back home by her hair if we had to. But I was the boyfriend and there would be no dragging unless it was me who was doing it.

  Once I was done doing my workout, I wiped a towel over my face and took a swig from a water bottle.

  “Fuck!” someone yelled.

  I shot up from the bench, charging for the door when a loud bang sounded. My heart rate sped up, a tremor of fear slicing down my spine. What the hell was going on?

  As soon as I left the gym, I found Greyson coming toward me.

  He stopped when he saw me. “Meeting. Now.” He spun on his heel and headed back the way he came.

  I followed, not liking the nerves in his voice. “What’s going on?”

  “Just … Fuck.” Greyson paused in his step before looking at me over his shoulder. “It’s Butcher.”

  My stomach dropped. “Tell me.”

  Greyson shook his head and bounded up the steps to the main floor, two at a time.

  I was hot on his heels when we reached the main hall leading from the back bedrooms to the front area where all the parties were held. “Greyson. Tell me.” But as soon as those words left my mouth, Butcher came out of the meeting room.

  His dark eyes caught mine, his big body stiff like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. The hair on his normally buzzed head had grown in some. He was now sporting a crew cut. But what I noticed most of all were the bags under his eyes. His wife had died just over a year ago and he looked like he had aged ten years in that time.

  “Butcher,” I whispered.

  He came toward me, closing the distance between us in three long strides, and wrapped his big body around mine.

  “Fuck me.” My chest tightened. “I missed you, brother.”

  “I missed you too,” he grumbled, his deep voice sounding more like he had just gargled with broken glass.

  “Not that I’m not happy to see you—” I leaned back. “But what the hell are you doing here?”

  He looked away, his jaw clenching.

  “Meeting,” Greyson barked, storming past us. “Now.”

  “What the hell’s going on?” Sunny Harrison came toward us, letting out a hard yawn.

  Instead of answering, because it wasn’t like I knew anything, I followed Greyson and the other guys into the meeting room. He sat at the head of the table with Catch at his left-hand side and me on his right. Butcher paced back and forth while the other guys filed around the rest of the table.

  “Tell them,” Greyson demanded, scrubbing his hands down his face.

  “My boy.” Butcher’s voice cracked. “My son is missing.”

  JOHN BUTCHER HAD been someone I had looked up to for most of my adult life. Meeting him when I was only in my early twenties, I had just found out my mom was dying from cancer and I was bitter as fuck. But he made me laugh by saying something stupid. It was so dumb, I couldn’t remember what it was, but it stuck with me. Even after all of this time.

  But now, watching him break in front of me, in front of us, I wanted blood. Whoever hurt him, hurt us, and we would get revenge.

  “I don’t know what happened or why it happened. I’ve been quiet. Out of the spotlight. I took Cyrus and Sam and went to my parents’ cottage. I’ve been there this whole time.” Butcher’s body shook.

  “Sit.” Bobby, or Shade as he liked to be called, pushed a chair behind him.

  Butcher slumped, dropping his head in his hands. “I need your help. Please. I can’t … Fuck. I can’t lose Sammy too.”

  The air surrounding us became thick.

  “Where’s Cyrus now?” I asked, clenching my hands into fists.

  “He’s with Eve and Jaron in our bedroom,” Greyson said, sitting forward. “We’ll find him, brother.”

  Butcher only nodded. “I went to the police, but they won’t do shit. Even though he’s just a boy. They said he has to be missing for twenty-four hours before they’ll start searching for him.”

  “Even though he’s a fucking kid?” I boomed, shoving to my feet.

  “Tray,” Greyson said gently.

  “No.” My head whipped around. “If it was your son, you would react the same motherfucking way.” I looked at Butcher that time. “Why are they not doing anything?”

  “Because they’re paid off.” Butcher narrowed his brows. “You know that.”

  “Doesn’t make it fucking right.” I sat back in my chair. Samson was a kid. He was almost ten. He didn’t deserve this shit. None of us did. And especially not Butcher. Not after he lost his wife already.

  “I can’t do this without you guys,” Butcher confessed. “I need you.”

  “You have us.” Greyson sat forward. “We won’t stop until Sammy is found.”

  Butcher nodded, a shuddered breath leaving him.

  “What do we know?” I asked, when Penny jumped onto my lap. I ran my hand down the length of her back. She yawned, digging her claws into my thigh and laid down. My heart became lighter from just her purr.

  “I had put the boys to bed at around eleven last night,” Butcher explained. “I got myself a drink and went to the den to watch TV. I’ve been binge watching horror movies.” He met my gaze. “Trixie never liked them and didn’t want the boys watching them, so I never did. Until now.”

  I nodded in understanding.

  “I don’t even remember what I was watching now but I went to get another drink. Something told me to check on the boys. Not that I really needed to. They’ve grown up so much in the last year.” Butcher swallowed hard. “My gut was telling me to check, so I did, and Sammy was mi
ssing. Their window was open. I have no idea why they would only take him or what the hell they even want. There was no note. No one has tried contacting me. Cyrus doesn’t know anything because he was sleeping.” Butcher stood then and began pacing again. “I need my boy back. I need them both. Fuck, Trixie would kill me if she were still alive and something happened to them.”

  “I’ll get in touch with my contact,” Greyson said, shoving a hand through his hair.

  “You are not calling Sarge,” Butcher snapped.

  “No.” Grey narrowed his eyes. “I’m not. Sarge is no longer allowed near us. You know that.”

  Butcher blew out a slow breath. “I know. I’m sorry. Fuck I know.”

  Sarge was a bastard. I never liked the guy. He had a hand in Eve’s kidnapping and ever since she was saved, Greyson wouldn’t let the fucker anywhere near the house.

  “We’ll get your boy back.” Greyson stood, pulling a cell out of his pocket and brought it up to his ear. “I know it’s late, but I need you.”

  (Zillah)

  My phone rang, startling me. I rolled over onto my back, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and blindly searched for it. It was dark out. Was it nighttime already?

  My hand hit the phone, knocking it off the nightstand. Grumbling out a curse, I picked it up off the floor and slumped back down onto the bed.

  “Yeah,” I told whoever was on the other end.

  “Zillah.”

  My eyes widened. Sitting up, I clutched the phone in my hand. “Daddy.” I glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight. God, I slept that long? “Why are you calling so late?”

  “It seems my little girl is trying to become a woman and make a name for herself.”

  My heart jumped to my throat. “What do you mean?”

  “You see, we got in an argument because you’re still not as mature as you think you are. Those pictures of you and Tray weren’t the only ones handed to me. Someone wants a piece of that club and now you’re stuck in the middle of it.”

  I rose from the bed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I hadn’t done anything. My dad pissed me off, so I left.