Echo (Archer's Creek Book 1)

by Gemma Weir

  I’m freed and turned to face him a moment later. He drops the cut over my shoulders. I pull it over my Strikers vest and throw my arms out to the side, posing sarcastically. “Happy now?”

  His smile is smug, and he lifts the hand he just pulled from my pussy to his lips, sucking his fingers enthusiastically. “Very. I’ll be over here if you need me.”

  Tainted.

  Ruined.

  I can see the impurity on her.

  I can see the sin oozing from her skin.

  She allowed herself to be contaminated by him.

  Do I cleanse her, purify her soul?

  Or set the sin free.

  Now it’s time to decide.

  Sitting and watching Livvy is becoming an obsession. We always have a guy in the bar for security, usually a prospect pulling bitch duty while they earn their patch. But seeing her in her cut with my name on it, I didn’t want to leave her, so I told Daisy I’d take his shift today. I’ve got shit to do, but I’m not leaving her in this bar with all these drunk bastards.

  She smiles and flirts with everyone. I swear, if I hear her laugh at one more thing these fuckers say, I’m gonna lose my shit. I can hear her giggling with Brandi, and I’m getting hornier every moment I sit and watch her. I’m seconds away from dragging her into the back room and fucking her, my cock’s so hard. Hell, if she hadn’t told me she was sore, I’d have done it by now.

  My phone rings, distracting me, and I answer it. “Sleaze, what’s up, brother?”

  “I need you. There’s trouble over at Beavers, and we gotta get over there.”

  I sigh, looking up at the girls behind the bar. “Fuck. Send Daisy over to Strikers, and I’ll meet you there.”

  “Why the fuck are you at Strikers?”

  “I’m on security duty.”

  Sleaze laughs. “Let me guess, Liv’s working.”

  I scowl into the phone. “Fuck off.” We both know no one’s gonna fuck with Brandi. Sleaze is a head case when it comes to his old lady, and there ain’t many in this town who’d risk his wrath.

  “Brother, you’ve got it bad. I’ll get Daisy down there. See you in ten,” he says, laughing.

  Hanging up, I head to the bar. Livvy sees me, and I crook a finger, calling her over. “I’ve gotta go do some work, so Daisy’s gonna come stay at the bar till I get back.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Brandi and I will be just fine. We don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Sugar, this isn’t a babysitting service. There’s always a Sinner here. If these drunk bastards know there’s someone from the club here, they don’t start any trouble.”

  Nodding in understanding, she starts to take off her cut, and I growl. “Sugar, don’t you dare take that fucking cut off.” She glares at me, and I love the fiery, angry spark I see in her eyes; it makes me wanna fuck it out of her till she’s all soft and submissive.

  “Fine, you bloody caveman, I’ll keep it on. Happy?” she snaps.

  I reach out and grab her chin, forcing her to look at me. “Anyone touches you, and I mean anyone, I want to fucking know. Give me your phone.” She reaches into her pocket and hands it to me. I program my number in and call myself before handing the phone back to her. I lean over the bar, pull her towards me, and I kiss her till she’s breathless and my dick’s so hard I’m gonna be walking with a limp for the rest of the day. “Be good, baby, I’ll be back soon,” I say as I turn to leave.

  I reach the door just as Daisy walks in. We shake hands, embracing with a back-slapping hug. “Prospect, I gotta go take care of some business. Look after the girls, make sure no one causes any trouble. If Livvy takes off that cut, you call me, and if anyone touches her, you fucking kill them. You hear me?”

  Daisy barks out a laugh. “No problem, Echo.”

  I nod, taking one last look back at Livvy. Her face breaks into a smile before she blows me a kiss. I leave with a fucking massive pussy-whipped smile on my face.

  The door’s barely closed before Brandi’s next to me, practically vibrating with excitement. “Girlie, you’ve got some explaining to do, so start talking.”

  I groan and scan the bar, hoping for a customer, but the rush of night shifters has dwindled down and only a handful of guys remain. Sighing deeply, I scrub my hands over my face. “I don’t even know where to start.”

  She tugs at the corner of the leather cut I’m wearing. “How ’bout you start with this,” she suggests.

  I start to shrug the cut off, but Daisy’s grunt from across the bar halts me, and I turn, throwing an angry glare in his direction. “God, don’t get me started on this thing.” I sigh. “Echo left me a note this morning asking me to wear it. I figured he was just being his usual caveman self. You know what men are like about you wearing their clothes. So I put it on and walk straight through the clubhouse wearing it. I had no idea what he was setting me up for.”

  Brandi’s hand covers her mouth in shock. “That bastard let you walk about announcing to everyone that you were his old lady, and you had no idea.”

  I nod. “Basically, yeah, that about sums it up.”

  She turns and jumps up to sit on the wooden bar. “So, are you his old lady? I mean, you’re still wearing it, so you must be. But how did this all happen?”

  Stepping back to lean against the counter behind the bar, I sigh. “God, there’s just something about him. I mean, I’ve never been around a guy like him before. He completely overwhelms me and drives me mad, but I just seem to find myself doing whatever he tells me.”

  Laughing, Brandi coos, “Baby girl, you found your first alpha. Don’t they make them like him back home?”

  Heat stains my cheeks. “If they do, I’ve not found one yet. Not that many alpha males in Lancashire, and Echo’s like alpha on steroids. He’s just so intense and dominating.”

  Brandi nods knowingly. “Yeah, but you love it, don’t you?”

  I nod and gush, “God, I really do. I’ve never been so turned on in my life. I’ve had more sex in the last twenty-four hours than I’ve had in the last six months. He only has to kiss me and I’m practically panting.” I rub my hands over my face and sigh loudly. “He wants me to move in with him. It’s ridiculous; I only met him a couple of days ago. This is all moving far too fast. I go back to the UK in a few months’ time. He’s all in, and I just can’t be.”

  Brandi jumps down from the bar and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. “Sweetie, love doesn’t happen at the same pace for everyone. Just ’cause it’s quick doesn’t mean it’s wrong, and, girl, I’ve known Echo for years, and I’ve never seen him act like this.”

  I sag in Brandi’s arms and homesick-filled loneliness overwhelms me. I miss my mum and my bestie. Stroking my hair, she pulls me tighter into her chest. “Oh baby girl, it’s gonna be okay,” she soothes kindly.

  I’m so grateful for her in this moment, a new friend just when I need one. “I don’t know what to do. When I’m near him, he’s all I see. I can’t stop being drawn to him, and the sex, God, the sex is out of this world.” Words pour out of me in a rush. “But we don’t know each other, and I’m leaving, and he’s bossy and a pain in the arse, and he keeps threatening me with orgasms. I mean, seriously, what kind of threat is that? ‘If you don’t behave, I’m gonna make you come so hard you scream.’ That’s just a walking enticement for being a brat,” I blurt out exasperated.

  Brandi laughs so hard she doubles over, one hand on her hip, the other holding her stomach. “I’m sorry, it’s just—” She explodes into another bout of laughter. I huff, grabbing a beer from the cooler. Stealing the bottle from me, she swallows deeply. “Okay, okay, okay, so what I’m hearing is that Echo is a sex machine who’s trying to control you with orgasms,” she says, trying not to laugh.

  I nod. “Yes.”

  She barks out another loud laugh, spitting beer all over the floor. “And this is a bad thing why?”

  I close my eyes, laughter bubbling from my chest. “Oh my God, there’s nothing bad about that at all. What the hell a
m I complaining about?”

  Her arms wrap around my shoulders, and her head rests on me as our laughter subsides. “Sweetie, you’re overthinking this. You like him. The sex is hot. Just enjoy spending time together and fuck like rabbits. If you’re meant to be together, you’ll end up together. But in the meantime, have fun.”

  “I really should. But now he’s sending biker babysitters to keep an eye on me. I mean, why the hell would I need a guard in this tiny town?” I ask exasperated.

  Brandi smiles good-naturedly. “Daisy’s not here for you. There really is always one of the guys from the club here. The town’s pretty safe these days, but about a year ago there was this weird time when club girls started disappearing.”

  “What happened?” I ask.

  “Well, they just stopped coming to the club.”

  “Maybe they decided they just didn’t want a biker anymore,” I suggest. Brandi scoffs and shakes her head. “Okay, well maybe they decided that sleeping with every member of a club is not the right way to bag yourself a permanent biker, and they moved on to somewhere they won’t get called whores?” I say sarcastically.

  Brandi laughs loudly. “No, these girls were long-time club girls. They wore their club whore badges with pride. It was really strange. They just stopped turning up. These were regulars that were at the club five nights a week, and then they just never came back. First one girl, and then a couple of months later a second girl, and then a third. I think it was five girls in the end that just vanished.”

  “So what happened?” I ask intrigued.

  “Well, Anders, that’s the Sinners president, he spoke to the sheriff, and they did some enquiries but never found anything. Their families never even reported them missing, and when the sheriff contacted them, they weren’t surprised, said that they probably picked up a guy and left town. The last one that disappeared was Elise, that was about seven months ago. None of them ever came back. It was strange,” Brandi says, concern and sadness still evident in her voice.

  “Wow, that’s creepy,” I say with a shudder.

  “Yeah, totally. The club called all of the women and kids into lockdown for like a month, but the girls never came back and no one else disappeared.”

  The door opens and Gus walks in. Brandi pats my shoulder, squeezing gently before turning to serve a guy at the end of the bar. “Hi Gus, how you doing today?” I say, smiling broadly.

  His glorious smile lights up his whole weathered face. “Evening, Miss Olivia. You’re a sight for old eyes, young lady.”

  Heat rushes to my cheeks. “Gus, you old charmer, you’re making me blush.”

  “My Millie always used to say I was a charmer.” Gus’s eyes mist over, and I reach over the bar and place my hand over his.

  “Tell me about her.”

  “She was an angel. She loved everyone, and she was always trying to mother those boys in the club. Not that they let her, but she was always trying. She was a kind soul, and much too good for an old geezer like me.” Unshed tears fill his eyes.

  Smiling, I pat his hand. “She sounds like a wonderful person.”

  “She was.”

  I grab a beer and slide it across the bar to him. Tipping the bottle back, he takes a quick sip. I tense when his eyes drop to Echo’s name on the cut I’m wearing.

  “I see you’ve got yourself a young man then.” I nod and look down at the property patch. Uncertain, I lift my head up and look at Gus. He smiles widely. “Echo’s a good man. He’ll look after you, but if he’s not treating you right, you come find Gus and I’ll set him straight,” he says sternly.

  I relax, surprised at how much his approval means to me. “Thanks, Gus, I’ll let him know you’ve got your eye on him.”

  The night goes quickly with a steady stream of customers. Daisy’s sitting at the end of the bar, growling at every guy I serve. I stalk angrily over to him and lean across the bar. “Daisy, what the fuck’s your problem?”

  He glances at my face before his eyes flick to Echo’s name on my chest. He pauses for a moment then drops his gaze back to his phone.

  “Daisy?” I say. Completely ignoring me, he focuses on his hands. “Daisy, hello,” I snap. I slap my hands against the wood of the bar dramatically. When he doesn’t react, I straighten and turn my head, catching Brandi’s attention and signalling to Daisy. She watches him before shrugging in response. Shaking my head, I scoff and walk away from him.

  It’s late. My long shift’s finally over, and I grab my bag and hug Brandi goodbye. My skin starts to tingle seconds before the door opens and Echo and Sleaze walk in. Like a moth to a flame, my eyes instantly lock with his, and he pulls me to him, wrapping me in his arms.

  This bitch is under my skin, and I’m turning into a pussy-whipped fucking bastard. From the moment I headed out to Beavers earlier, all I’ve wanted is to get back to her. Every time my dick finally calms down, I end up thinking about her ass bent over in those tight fucking shorts and I’m rock-hard again. Then I think about all the drunk assholes at Strikers who are looking at my woman’s ass bent over in those tight fucking shorts, and I’m so angry I can barely see straight.

  I need to be inside her again. I need to remind myself she’s only for me and those bastards might look, but they can only imagine how wet and tight her perfect pussy is.

  I walk into Strikers, and my eyes go straight to her. I know exactly where she is before I even see her. She’s got her bag. I seriously fucking hope she wasn’t planning on leaving before I got here. Archer’s Creek is fucking remote and the town’s basically run by the club, but there’s still some fucking shady nutjobs out there. She needs to realise she can’t go wandering around alone at night; it’s not safe.

  Heat flares in her the moment our eyes lock. My arms reach for her and pull her into my chest. We both relax, the tension melting as our breathing syncs.

  Daisy walks over. “We good?” he asks.

  “Yeah, brother, you can head off now. Any issues?” I say.

  He shakes his head and turns to leave as Livvy shouts, “Bye, Daisy, it was lovely talking to you.”

  Wrapping my hand around Livvy’s neck, I turn her face to look at me. “What the fuck’s that all about? Has Daisy been flirting with you?”

  Both Livvy and Brandi burst out laughing. Livvy’s head flops into my chest, her arms wrapping around my waist. Brandi’s laughing so hard, she can barely speak.

  “Hardly,” Brandi says. “Liv tried to get him to stop glaring at the customers, but he wouldn’t even look at her. He never spoke a single word to her all night.”

  What the fuck is wrong with me? Just the thought of Daisy flirting with her makes me want to beat the shit out him. I need to tone down this fucking crazy. I sound like Sleaze. Fuck, I’ve been busting his balls for years over how overprotective he is of Brandi. Now I know how he feels. “You ’bout ready, sugar?” I ask.

  She nods, and I guide her out of the bar and lift her onto my bike. Her nose wrinkles in frustration, but ignoring her, I strap the helmet onto her head.

  “Echo, Miss Mimi’s is literally a minute away. I really can just walk,” she whines.

  I ignore her and climb onto my bike before pulling her forward until her body’s flush with mine and her pussy’s rubbing against my ass. Sliding my hand up her thigh, I squeeze gently. “Sugar, we can spend the night at that old bitch’s if you want, but I guarantee my bed’s more comfortable.”

  She scoffs. “How about I spend the night in my bed and you spend it in yours?”

  God, this bitch frustrates me. “Olivia, it’s late. Stop being a fucking pain in the ass and pick. My bed or yours. It don’t matter to me, ’cause either way, my cock’s gonna be deep inside you in the next half hour.”

  For the third night in a row, I’m back at the Sinners’ clubhouse and on my way to Echo’s bed.

  “Livvy.” His voice is full of command, and I reach for him, my skin tingling and desperate for his touch. Warm fingers wrap around the back of my neck, his thumb grazing back an
d forth over the pulse point. He guides me through the bar. My panties are soaked with arousal, and my heart races. I count the steps till we’re alone.

  Several sets of eyes follow our progress, but instead of the lascivious looks I got the first night, there are respectful nods.

  His grip on my neck tightens. “You’re my old lady now,” he says. I nod, and understanding dawns on me. To this brotherhood of men, being an old lady elevates me above the women just here to get fucked. Being an old lady makes me significant, a part of this life, a part of the club.

  Opening his door, he urges me through before shutting and locking it behind us. His room’s tidy and impersonal, clinical almost. The last two times I’ve been here I’ve been too angry and filled with lust to really take notice.

  “Do you live here all the time?” I ask. His eyebrows lift in surprise, and I shrug. “I don’t know anything about you. It’s not like we’ve done a lot of talking the last few days.”

  He chuckles lightly. Reaching out, he collars my neck, his thumb stroking the skin on my cheek, and says, “I live here most of the time, but I’ve got a house just outside of town. I don’t use it that much, too quiet.”

  Unexpected tears well in my eyes. His answer is much more telling than he realises. “Do you have any family in town?” I ask. He narrows his eyes, his hand falling from my neck, and he shakes his head. “Do you have any family anywhere?” I swallow down the emotion in my voice.

  His eyes narrow and darken. “What’s with the twenty questions, sugar?” His voice is harsh, and I flinch at the accusation in his tone.

  I stiffen and blurt out. “I’m just trying to get to know you a little better. Is that a problem?”

  Suspicious eyes focus on me, searching my face. “You still sore, Livvy?” he questions, as heat starts to smoulder in his green depths.

  I shake my head. “No, I’ll be okay.”