Bear Trap

by Bijou Hunter

  For the first time in my entire life, I’m happy to be a well-behaved, submissive wimp.

  ➸ Glitch ★

  Oz catches me on my way back from Yarrow’s townhome. I ignore him calling my name since Gizmo is very much interesting in scratching off my face. Once inside Clove’s place, I set down the raging orange, black, white furball. Gizmo yells at me and then proceeds to remember he lives here and should rub against a couch or two. I walk to the kitchen sink and run water over the cat’s love scratches.

  “A few days away and you forget who owns your leash,” Oz growls without much effort since he’s busy petting the kitten now scenting up the table.

  “Did you need something?” I ask, drying my hand. “I’m tired from driving in the cold rain.”

  “Your hair does look a mess. You’ll want to fix that shit before Clove changes her mind about you.”

  “I see you’re in a feisty mood, and I’d love to play insult give-and-take, but I’m fucking tired. Get to your point.”

  Oz runs a hand through his damp nearly black hair. He looks around and then shrugs. “No point. Just checking in with you since I sent you to do club business and you lost my number after telling me about the convict.”

  “Clove needed my attention, and I didn’t think you were into hand-holding dudes.”

  “Anyone fuck with Clove up there?”

  “No. Bad memories fucked with her.”

  “No doubt. Little Memphis sounds like hell on earth when I hear their childhood stories.”

  I nod at his words while searching Clove’s pantry for the cat’s food. Gizmo senses what’s happening and comes running. Watching me feed the cat, Oz says nothing even though he’s not here for a friendly visit.

  “I had Cayenne look up info on this guy, Hazard,” Oz finally says. “He is around my age. Model prisoner. Don’t know much else. He’ll be released in a month.”

  “We need younger members, and he’s younger, right?”

  “This Hazard fuck didn’t obey the old Little Memphis president,” Oz nearly hisses, clearly working up his rage before he stepped into this house. “There’s no reason he’d obey me.”

  “Wait, you think we should obey you?”

  “Yeah, asshole. Submit or die,” he growls in an impressive display of manliness that unfortunately no one is around to be impressed by.

  “That’s your lady talking.”

  “See, that’s the fucking thing. Ginger has a solid crew she trusts completely,” Oz complains, now sounding like a pissed kid. “I have a few guys I trust and a few guys I won’t turn my back on. Now I’m expected to welcome a guy who might burn down the town.”

  “Or he might be a lame motherfucker who doesn’t want to get dirty now that he’s free,” I suggest while kicking off my boots. “Could go either way.”

  “Do you think I should go meet Hazard while he’s in prison or wait until he shows up?”

  “What did Ginger say?”

  “Said I should wait and see if he comes to Rawlins. She claims if I visit him that I’ll seem like a desperate chump.”

  “Then do what she says. Why are you asking me?” I mutter, having no experience with Oz hitting me up for advice.

  “Because Blackjack is busy with Yarrow, and I can’t talk about grownup shit with Camo.”

  “I guess that makes me your second choice. Not bad.”

  “Second choice in the club,” Oz quickly clarifies. “Third overall. Wait, I also talk about business with my mom. So you’re fourth place then.”

  “Stop before my ego explodes shit all over the room.”

  Oz grins at my tone. “It’s not personal, fucker. You know that. You and I came up at the same time, but I was with Cell, and you hung back. You’re a soldier. A good one, but you’re young.”

  Inhaling the rich aroma of brewing coffee, I point out, “I’m three years younger than you.”

  “Three years is a long fucking time for a man’s maturity.”

  “Will you shut the fuck up already?”

  “Fine, throw your bitch fit.”

  “I will. Now get out.”

  “Sure, sure. But before I do, how’s the temp on your thing with Clove? Did she run hot or cold on the trip?”

  “Both but we returned on a hot note. Thanks for asking.”

  “Ginger worries Clove will return to Little Memphis for good.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” I grunt, losing my temper at his nosy bullshit.

  “Because of you?”

  “Because of a lot of things, you fucking gossip.”

  Oz shrugs in his “aw-shucks” way and says, “Ginger worries, so I worry.”

  “Clove made it sound like another crew fox will be heading to Rawlins soon.”

  “I hadn’t heard that.”

  “Well, now you have some fresh dirt, you fucking hag.”

  “I don’t know if your dick got too much love or not enough on the trip but settle that shit. I don’t appreciate all the bitching.” When I take the faucet sprayer and point it at him, Oz shakes his head. “No way does Clove want you flooding her kitchen.”

  “She’ll forgive me,” I say and give him a warning shot. “Now stop looking for gossip, and don’t tell me what to do with my fucking dick again.”

  Oz opens his mouth to reply, and I give him another squirt. Rolling his dark eyes, he flips me off and heads for the back door. I wait until he’s outside before I set down my weapon.

  “Can you believe that guy?” I ask Gizmo who ate one bite before deciding he wasn’t hungry. “He comes here and starts shit.”

  “Men are such assholes,” Clove says, heading down the stairs. “I don’t know why they get to rule the world.”

  Walking to where she stands in her floor-length flannel nightgown, I inhale her clean scent. My dick goes from sleepy to wide-fucking-awake. “Are you feeling better?”

  “Let’s close the back shades to keep our friends from bugging us. You and I can watch a movie, make out like horny teenagers, and do that nap thing like yesterday. Finally, we can finish off the evening with takeout and lots of penis to vagina contact.”

  “I’ll choose the takeout.”

  “No.”

  My index finger traces the outline of her right nipple and then the left.

  “I sucked you off before I went upstairs. You’re seriously not horny again.”

  “No, I’m not,” I say, plucking at her hard right nipple. “You said we should make out like horny teens. I’m just getting started.”

  Clove glances down at where I touch her before her gaze returns to my face. “I wouldn’t mind getting sucked off myself,” she murmurs.

  “I don’t know. You seem tired.”

  Giving me a side-eye frown, she walks to the couch, leans back until her left leg relaxes on the cushion, and pulls up her nightgown.

  “It’s up to you,” she sighs and reaches for the remote.

  Without saying a word, I walk to the back door, pull the shades, and return to the living room where Clove pretends to watch TV. The moment I kneel next to the couch, a shiver runs through her body. No more playing cool, Clove watches me with wide eyes. My hot breath on her wet, excited flesh is all she needs to whimper and reach for her tits.

  I own her body. A lick sends her into overdrive. She knows what I’ll do next. How my lips will torment her fat clit before my tongue fucks her pussy into submission. I’m the master of Clove’s body by the time my dick joins the show.

  Based on the intensity of her tender gaze, I might own her heart soon too.

  Chapter Eight

  Greek Variation of Louisa: Eloisia

  ➸ Clove ☆

  Glitch leaves to run errands. When I ask for specifics on his errands, he claims I don’t want to know. Of course, I consider following Glitch. Now that I’ve fallen hard for him, I’m paranoid he’s lost interest in me. What if some bitch swoops in and steals him away? I don’t want to start killing whores to keep my man, but I might hit that level of crazy soon
.

  Restless at my place, I walk over to Ginger’s where I find her enjoying coffee with Yarrow and Pepper. They stop staring at their cups long enough to glance at me.

  Awkward now, I announce, “Anise’s thinking about moving down.”

  “How serious is she about that?” Ginger asks.

  “No idea.”

  Pepper pushes back her chair and sighs. “Don’t know if she’d like it in Rawlins. No one to hunt here.”

  “Not necessarily. Joker tried to freak out Glitch about possible threats from Little Rock.”

  “Joker always fucks with people,” Ginger says. “He’s sneaky. You can’t take him seriously.”

  “I didn’t, but Glitch seemed worried. Their club only has six guys.”

  “Seven with the convict,” Ginger says.

  “Joker’s unwillingness to keep the guy around makes me think we won’t keep him around either, but don’t tell Glitch that.”

  “Fine, but then you can’t tell Oz.”

  “I’m going to tell Blackjack,” Yarrow announces. “He likes secrets.”

  “No, don’t tell anyone anything.”

  “Ever?” Yarrow asks, and I can’t tell if she’s bullshitting us.

  Pepper’s frown turns darker. “Wait, why is this a secret?”

  “I don’t want Oz thinking he needs to kill the guy before the guy shows up and proves he needs killing. Once a thought is in Oz’s head, he won’t give the guy a chance.”

  “I don’t get it,” Yarrow says.

  “Remember when you threatened to kill Vile? Well, that put the idea in Oz’s head to kill Vile, so now Oz keeps wondering if he should.”

  “I didn’t threaten to kill Vile. It was his shithead son.”

  “Whatever.”

  “No, not whatever,” Yarrow mutters angrily. “It was the shithead. I was there. I know.”

  Smiling at Yarrow’s insistence, I caress her head and lean against the back of the couch. “This convict could be an asset. At the very least, if he’s not a dog, we can liquor up Cayenne and get her laid. She’s been crabby lately.”

  “I don’t know if her screwing a convict is worth the trouble it might cause,” Ginger says like a well-fucked woman unable to remember the horniness Cayenne currently suffers from. “Probably safer to get her a new vibrator and time alone.”

  Pepper rolls her blue eyes and stands up. “Cayenne doesn’t need a man. She needs a vacation.”

  “We ought to send her away on a cruise or something,” Ginger suggests.

  “By herself?” I ask.

  Ginger eyeballs me. “Do you want to go with her?”

  “No, and Cayenne is afraid of the ocean,” I say and pour myself a cup of coffee. “She told us that story about when she went to the beach with her grandparents as a kid, and her cousin drowned.”

  “When did she share this story?” Ginger asks.

  “Back in Missouri during a poker game. Remember when Sage was talking about how learning to surf was on her bucket list and then Cayenne mentioned her fear of the ocean.”

  “I don’t remember that at all.”

  “Learn to hold your liquor, bitch,” Pepper growls.

  Ginger grips the table angrily. “I will punch your face until you ask me very fucking politely to stop.”

  “Do you love Glitch?” Yarrow asks me, having no interest in the faux fight brewing between Ginger and Pepper.

  “Maybe.”

  “Love is fun.”

  “I hope I like it.”

  “You will. Love makes getting up easier.”

  Smiling at her sweet smile, I wish I could be half as brave as this kid still figuring out life. Instead, I’m edgy about where Glitch is and when he’ll be back. I’m also freaking out about how much I’m freaking out. Is this what love feels like?

  ➸ Glitch ★

  I don’t know why I let Clove worry over my errands. Her new need for me is so fresh, and I’m afraid she’ll turn off her feelings again. So I pull a petty fucking move and get her riled up so she might actually give a shit when I return.

  My first stop is at one of the crew’s rental homes. Before leaving for Little Memphis, I completed the flooring, painting, and counters. There are small jobs still necessary before the house can be rented out. I check to see if Camo got anything done while I was gone. I see his notes on changing out a faucet and working on the trim. The little shit fucks up with his club work—giving dealers way too much leeway—but the kid doesn’t slack off in renovations.

  I check the house, making sure the windows and doors are all locked. Thieves love to bust into empty homes and steal everything from the copper wiring to the fucking toilets.

  Next, I stop by my place where I pack a bag of clean clothes. I go through my mail, find nothing except junk, and dump it in the trash can I take out to the street. My little house once belonged to a sweet woman who kept it even after she got too old to handle all the stairs. My grandma loved this house, and a part of me loves it too, but the poor thing feels unloved when I can leave it for days without worry. If Clove is serious about having me move into her place, I hope to find someone decent to make this house a home.

  I stop by Delores Flowers to pick up a bouquet for Clove. My stepmom, Holly, works on weekdays, so I hope she’s around to help me pick the flowers.

  “Louie,” Holly says, looking relieved to see me.

  “Slow day?”

  “Oh, yes. Business really dies down after Valentine’s Day.”

  Thinking back to the holiday, I’d bought Clove flowers then too. She hadn’t been impressed with her lover acting like a boyfriend. In fact, I think she gave the flowers to Cayenne because I saw Duffy carrying one outside a day later.

  “Do you carry gladiolus?

  “Not here, but we can order them. If you don’t need gladiolus, we have lots of flowers in the shop.”

  Pulling out my phone, I frown. “I read they’re popular in the Philippines. Let me see what others are common there.”

  “Is this about your girlfriend?” Holly asks, giving me a sly grin.

  “Yes. I don’t know if she’d like flowers popular in Mexico where her father’s family is from,” I mumble, searching online. “I don’t mind ordering the gladiolus, but I want to bring something to Clove today.”

  Holly and I search for flowers common in the Philippines and Mexico that she has in the shop. We finally settle on orchids.

  “So it’s getting serious,” Holly says, putting together the bouquet. “Would you like to bring her to dinner at the house?”

  “Not really.”

  “I understand,” she says, losing her smile. “Your father can be hard to take at times.”

  “He and I have nothing in common besides blood. We’re both happier apart.”

  “I understand,” she says again.

  “Maybe when the weather warms up, you could join Clove and me for dinner. I don’t want to create issues with Dad, but I also don’t want to write you out of my life either.”

  Holly smiles brightly, and I realize how much she suffered when my father and I cut our ties. She tried so much to be a mom to a kid only three years younger. I always felt she was more like a sister to me, which was fucking gross considering my father nails her. Still, she’s family, and I don’t have much worth caring about anymore.

  One day, despite my earlier worries, I know Clove, and I will make things official. I know this for a fact now. Our family will start with two and grow when we add children. I don’t care if she only wants one or decides she’d like a dozen. I’m ready to sign onto whatever life Clove dreams of because I know it’ll be fucking perfect as long as we’re together.

  ➸ Clove ☆

  Afraid to be alone with my bad memories bubbling to the surface, I cling to whoever is nearby. Since my first choice is still running his errands, I follow the girls to Pepper’s townhome where she checks on Bay.

  “Where’s Cayenne?” I ask, sitting on the couch as Ginger relaxes at the other end with Ya
rrow leaning against her.

  Remaining silent, Ginger caresses Yarrow’s head. I finally turn to Pepper texting frantically on her phone from a chair next to me.

  “Anyone know?”

  “She’s at a meeting at Duffy’s school,” Pepper says without looking up. “Apparently, they don’t feel she’s well suited for the class she’s in, so they want to move her to another school with a better program.”

  “Meaning Duffy is too difficult to handle,” Ginger grumbles, “so they’re pawning her off on someone else.”

  Shrugging, I ask, “If the ‘someone else’ knows what they’re doing, does it really matter why Duffy changes schools?”

  “Change is still change,” Ginger says in nearly a snarl, “and Duffy is just getting the hang of her schedule after the holidays. Now she’ll need to learn a new schedule and deal with new people.”

  “Why are you in such a negative mood?” I ask Ginger.

  “Oz has a club problem, and he won’t tell me the details. We all know I’ll get it out of him, but until then, I must nag the ever-loving shit out of him. It’s pissing me off.”

  “A man not bowing to you doesn’t seem like much of a problem.”

  “I’m spoiled, I guess.”

  “Yes,” I say, nodding wildly while Pepper does the same. “You are.”

  “So spoiled,” Pepper teases.

  “Probably, but Oz has a tiny club, and now he’s taking on a Little Memphis reject. The man needs me to have his back.”

  “He survived without you,” Yarrow mumbles against Ginger. “He wants you to trust him.”

  “I do trust him.”

  Yarrow doesn’t react to Ginger’s words, and the room falls silent.

  “What’s Bay doing upstairs?” I ask.

  “Watching TV. She’s obsessed with ‘Mama’s Family,’” Pepper says. “It’s the weirdest shit ever, but she laughs her ass off, and I want her happy.”

  “So you hide down here while she watches her crap show?” I taunt.