They were pumped, ready to act as soon as they heard the word. They missed the action and violence of the bygone years. They knew what it meant to be in the midst of a rival war, but many of the younger members weren’t around then and didn’t really understand the toll it would take on their club.
“You know if it happens, it’s lockdown for all old ladies and children. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I got a call in to Reaper, but if it does, then we’ll fuckin’ crush their balls and kill every last one of them so they can’t start their shit up again in the future. Church over.” Banger tapped the gavel one last time.
“I’m fuckin’ pissed we didn’t kill Shack and Dustin. Now, they’re starting shit. What a pair of pussies,” Chas seethed to Axe and Jax as they exited the meeting room.
“Shack took his woman and ran outta there like the shriveled-ball pussy he is. I was aiming for him, but he ran out too fast. What a yellow-belly asshole,” Axe sneered.
Chas motioned the prospect at the bar for three shots. “I was looking for him, too. I think the only reason we let the old man live was ’cause he and Banger go way back.”
“Yeah, that was our mistake. We should’ve shot his fuckin’ brains out. Now he’s causing all kinds of shit,” Jax said as he brought his shot glass to his lips.
“Even though those bastards were disloyal, it’s different killing a brother. It sucks,” Jerry added as he sidled up to the bar.
“What sucks is when a brother betrays the club. To me, that’s the worst shit, and I have no fuckin’ problem putting a bullet through the traitor,” Axe replied.
Chas threw back his second shot. He didn’t want Addie becoming involved in whatever maelstrom was coming their way. She didn’t deserve to be pulled into the dark world of outlaw bikers. Even though he knew he should walk away, he couldn’t, and that was a first for Chas.
* * *
“So, what’d you do all day?” Chas asked as he ran his finger up the neck of his Coors bottle.
“Cleaned the damn reference room. It took me several hours to make it look and smell clean.” Addie popped a cube of cheddar cheese in her mouth.
“You shoulda made the fucker’s bitch clean it up.” Chas took a long pull on his beer.
“I didn’t want to chance him coming.”
“The fucker wouldn’t have been able to walk today. I gave him a good ass-kickin’. I didn’t think, or I woulda sent a couple of prospects to clean up the place.”
“I wouldn’t have wanted that. It was okay, really. It gave me a chance to catch up on some things I’ve been putting off.”
The woodsy scent of packed leaves on the ground, burning wood from fireplaces, and tangy, sweet apple trees swirled around them as they sat on Addie’s balcony, watching the lights in the neighborhood turn on. She wrapped her sweater tighter around her as the crisp, fall evening approached.
“Where’s Jack today?” she asked.
“At my parents’. I gotta go in a bit to pick him up. You wanna come with me? The three of us can go out to eat afterward.”
“I’d love that. Do you feel better?” Her smile warmed his chest.
“Yeah. Drugs are great.” Chas bit into a wheat cracker. “Jack wants to go to the Museum of Nature and Science during Christmas break. They’re having an exhibit about dinosaurs, and he loves all that. You wanna come with us?”
“That sounds great. I always went to museums when I was a child. I didn’t know Pinewood had a natural history museum. Where is it? Downtown?”
Chas stared at Addie. “It’s not in Pinewood Springs, it’s in Denver.”
Addie dropped her cheese cube on the ground. As she bent over to pick it up, she said, “Oh, yeah, that’s right. I just thought you were talking about Pinewood Springs.”
“You’ve been to the one in Denver, right?”
“Of course.” She clasped and unclasped her hands.
“Where’s it located? I forget.”
“Uh… downtown. You know, near the capital building and the library.” Addie stood up and picked up the cheese plate then turned to go inside. “Just let me know when, and I’ll see if I can make it.”
“Is there anything you want to tell me?” he asked nonchalantly.
A questioning look spread over her face. “Like what?”
“Like anything.” Black eyes stared hard at her.
For a moment, Chas thought he saw panic in her eyes, but she lowered her head, wringing her hands. “No. I mean, I don’t know what you’re asking me. Do you know something I don’t?” She kept watching the balcony’s floor, licking her lips over and over.
“I know the museum in Denver is not by the capital. It’s in City Park. Since you’re from Denver, how do you not know that? Do you have any secrets you wanna share?”
“I guess that’s one of the museums I didn’t go to as a kid. What are you accusing me of? Secrets? We all have those. If we shared them, they wouldn’t be secrets.” Not for one second did she glance at him.
Chas nodded. “That’s fair. Just thought you might have something you wanted to tell me.”
“When are we going to pick Jack up?” she asked, looking everywhere but at Chas.
Addie was being evasive, and from the way she fidgeted and fussed with her hands, he could tell she was nervous. His questions unnerved her, but he didn’t know why. Not knowing where the biggest museum in Denver was confirmed his suspicions that she’d made it up. But why? Why not tell him where she’d lived? A heaviness spread over his body, and Chas wished Addie trusted him enough to tell him what the fuck she was hiding.
“Do you want another beer?” she questioned as she took the empty dish and glasses into the living room.
“Nah. We gotta get going.” With his finger, he hooked her belt loop and drew her on his lap. After tangling his fingers in her hair, he pulled her face next to his. “Gotta get a taste of your luscious lips before we go.”
His mouth claimed hers, sucking and nipping her bottom lip before he plundered her mouth with his tongue, holding her closer and tighter, all the while plunging deeper. Addie gasped softly inside his mouth. Calloused fingers molded over her breasts as he kneaded them, his palms pressing over her stiffening nipples.
Fuck me. I’m harder than a rock.
With her hands on his chest, she lightly pulled back. “Don’t you think we better get going? Jack’s waiting for you.”
I just wanna fuck you.
“Yeah, right. We better go, precious.”
Addie rose to her feet and Chas followed suit. After locking up the apartment, they jumped into his SUV.
“I took the cage ’cause we couldn’t all fit on my bike.”
“Cage?”
“Car. We call ’em cages.”
“Interesting.”
After pulling away from the curb, Chas drove to his parents’ house.
Before he switched off the ignition, Jack ran down the long sidewalk toward the car. “Dad!”
Behind him, Chas’s parents tried to keep up with their grandson.
Chas came to the front of the vehicle and scooped Jack up in his arms. “Hey, little buddy. Did you have a good time with Gramma and Grandpa?”
“I sure did, but I’m glad you’re here.” Jack hugged his dad around his neck.
“Did you say hi to Ms. O’Leary?”
Jack looked over his dad’s shoulder and grinned. “Sorry, I didn’t see you, Ms. O’Leary. What’re you doing with my dad?”
A patch of red sprang over her cheeks.
I never get tired of seeing her blush when she’s embarrassed. Too cute.
“I… uh… I met up with your dad, and he asked me to join you both for dinner. You don’t mind, do you?”
On his feet again, Jack tugged his navy blue hoodie down. “No, I don’t mind. I’m glad. You’re my most favoritest teacher.”
Addie smiled.
Chas said, “Most favorite, bud, not favoritest.” He ruffled Jack’s hair.
“Okay, Dad, if you say so.�
�
Chas’s parents came over, and he gave his mom a hug. They all talked briefly then Jack asked, “When are we gonna eat?”
Chas laughed. “You hungry?”
Nodding, his eyes wide, he replied, “Uh-huh.”
“We’d better go then.”
Chas’s mother said to Addie, “You’ll have to come by for dinner some night so we can become better acquainted.”
“I’d like that,” Addie responded.
Chas’s mom threw a sly glance at him. “I’ll let Chas know when. Now, I want a goodbye hug from my two boys.”
After they settled in the SUV, Jack waved at his grandparents. Addie smiled and Chas steered the car toward the restaurant.
A couple of hours later, Jack was in the backseat of the car yapping about the different characters of his favorite video games. Surprising Chas, Addie knew a helluva lot about children’s video games, and she was caught up in her conversation with Jack.
Chas held Addie’s hand, stroking it with his thumb while he glanced at her. From under her lashes, she looked up at him, a shy smile whispering on her lips. His heart raced.
Jesus fuckin’ Christ, I’m getting a hard-on just from being with her.
Driving with his son in the back and Addie in the front, the two of them laughing and talking, Chas had no desire to be anywhere else. He lived in the moment, without any acknowledgement of the past or the future. All that mattered to him was right there and then, in all its quiet intensity. The feeling overwhelmed him, and he squeezed Addie’s hand. Maybe this is what ‘a good life’ is all about—the ordinary made extraordinary by small things.
“I can’t wait to play the new game Gramma and Grandpa gave me.” Jack pressed his forehead against the car window.
When Chas switched off the ignition, Jack said, “Dad, unlock the door. Hurry.”
“Damn, get a grip, okay? Stop pulling the handle when I’m tryin’ to unlock the door.”
“I gotta go to the bathroom.”
Chas unlocked the door and Jack bolted from the car, dashing up the porch steps before turning around to wave at Addie. Chas followed him as Addie waited in the car. Jack tried the doorknob, but the door was locked so he rang the doorbell while Chas walked up the stairs.
Brianna opened the door. Jack turned around and hugged his dad. “See ya, Dad.” He brushed past Brianna with a quick look, saying, “Hi, Mom. Bye, Mom.” In a few seconds, he disappeared down the hall to his bedroom, his new game safely in his hands.
“So much for missing me.” Brianna laughed as her eyes swept over Chas’s body. “You’re looking real good, Chas,” she said softly, smoothing her hair behind her ears.
“I took Jack out for burgers, so he’s good. You taking him to his reading circle after school on Monday?”
“Aren’t you gonna ask how I’m doing?” Her lower lip jutted out in a feigned pout.
There was a time, in the beginning, when he’d go crazy if Brianna did that. But at that moment, he only saw a selfish bitch who cared more about which color lipstick she was going to wear than she did about her own son. He wondered how she had ever been a part of his life. Being nineteen and fuckin’ horny, that’s how. A wry smile curled his lips.
“Gotta go, Brianna.”
As he turned to walk away, Brianna grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Don’t go, Chas. I’m lonely. I’d like some company tonight. We used to have good times, remember?”
Chas stared at her, his face devoid of emotion.
“For fuck’s sake, we have a kid together. I did good in giving you Jack, didn’t I?”
Narrowing his eyes, Chas jerked his arm out of her grasp. “Yeah, Jack’s great, but for you, he was just a means to an end. You fuckin’ got pregnant to trap me, and even though our marriage was pure hell, Jack is the best thing in my life, so yeah, I guess you did good in giving me Jack. At least you got somethin’ right.”
“There was a time you couldn’t get enough of me. I haven’t changed that much, have I? A lot of men find me attractive. Do you still find me attractive?”
“That was a long time ago. I’m not nineteen anymore. What happened? Did your latest playmate use you up and dump you?” Chas looked at the car over his shoulder, smiling when he saw Addie’s face. “Forget it, I gotta go.”
Brianna’s seductive pout transformed into a wicked sneer. “You brought her to my home? How fuckin’ dare you!” She shoved hard against his chest.
Chas lost his balance and stumbled down a couple of steps until he grabbed onto the splintered bannister, stopping his fall.
“What the fuck is your problem, bitch?” His gaze blazed with anger.
“How dare you take my son out to dinner with that fat slut? And you have some nerve bringing her around here. Shit, your standards have really fallen. What’s the matter, club pussy isn’t so easy for you anymore?”
“Shut the fuck up. Me standing here talking to you is lowering my standards. You wouldn’t know what class was if it bit you on your bony ass. I’m fuckin’ outta here.”
He jumped down the last two steps and stormed back to the car. As he opened his car door, he yelled, “I’ll make sure Jack gets to reading circle on Monday. You don’t have to do another thing with helping him. Gives you more time to whore around.”
Brianna started yelling as she rushed down the porch steps, but by the time she reached the curb, Chas had zoomed off.
Addie turned to him with a sad look in her eyes. “I’m sorry I’m causing trouble with your family.”
“You’re not doing shit. Brianna’s the one making everything fuckin’ miserable. Fuck!” He pounded the metal steering wheel with his fists.
“I think I’m making it worse.”
Turning sideways, he peered at her worried face. Taking her hand, he clutched it. “You’re the object of her anger because she’s still pissed I left her. She still doesn’t fuckin’ get that I’m not in love with her, and we’ll never get back together. She’s jealous of you ’cause you’re not a club whore, and we’ve been… uh… dating.” He pounded the steering wheel again. “She fuckin’ pisses me off!”
“It’s sad when two people start off in love, but then it crumbles so miserably.”
“I wasn’t exactly in love with Brianna—I was in fuck with her. I was twenty when Jack was born. I tried to make a go of it, but slutting around on your husband doesn’t make for a good marriage.” He smiled and winked at her.
Chuckling, she said, “No, I don’t suppose it doesn’t.”
Silence engulfed the car, but it was comfortable. It wasn’t like there was any need to fill the quiet, and that blew Chas away.
In a soft voice, Addie, who gazed out the window with a faraway sheen in her eyes, said, “Marriage always seems like such a good idea because each party thinks the other has the same idea, but they don’t. Marriage is really just broken dreams and crushed expectations. In life, the best thing a person can do is depend on herself.”
Chas regarded her for a long while, then said in a low voice, “Are you speaking from experience?”
Flushed and flustered, she replied, “No, but I’ve seen a lot of friends and family go through divorces.”
Not giving Chas a chance to comment, she changed the subject to Jack. They chatted about what a great kid he was until they arrived at her apartment.
“Did you want to come up?” She patted his hand.
Nodding, he turned off the motor. With his arm slung around her, they strolled up the sidewalk and into her apartment building.
A golden glow from the shiny bronze floor lamp greeted them as they entered her home. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and spiced apple potpourri wafted around the small apartment, filling it with a homey ambiance. Chas tossed his leather jacket on the chintz floral side chair, and observed Addie go into her bedroom. Following her, he watched her from the doorway as she slipped off her cardigan. Coming up behind her, he wound his arms around her and nibbled her earlobe.
“You smell so good,” he said into her ear as
his teeth grazed across it.
“Do I?” she whispered.
“Oh, yeah, baby.” Pressing her flush to him, he peppered her neck with kisses. “And you’re so damn soft. I love it.”
Addie lifted her arms up and back, circling them around Chas’s neck, then tilted her head sideways to catch his mouth. As their lips touched, his hands covered her breasts, squeezing them while his thumb grazed her nipples.
“Take off your shirt, precious. I want to feel your tits skin on skin.”
Addie slipped her top over her head, and Chas brushed her hair over her shoulder so he could kiss and lick the back of her neck. The goosebumps trailing her skin felt like hundreds of tiny pebbles against his tongue. He forged a path from the nape of her neck to her upper arm, grazing and nipping as he went along. Then he ran his hands down from her neck to the back of her bra, his nimble fingers unhooking it and sliding the satin straps off her shoulders. Her tits bounced freely as her bra crumpled to the floor. Chas cupped each one, then with his fingers he raised her nipples and squeezed while Addie moaned. Swiveling around toward her front, he teased her nipples with the tip of his tongue in circular motions for several minutes as she arched her back, bringing them closer to his mouth. Like a thirsty man, he closed his mouth around her taut buds and sucked, gently at first then faster and harder, driving Addie to rub her pussy against his bulging cock.
“I’m going to come. Oh, God, I’m coming!” Addie screamed, her hands pressing the back of his head hard against her tits while she bucked against him. “Shit, oh, God.”
Chas’s dick strained against his jeans, and he adjusted his crotch to get some relief. He grinned to himself—his sexy spitfire was too much. As Addie’s breathing returned to normal, she kissed him hard on the lips, laced her fingers around his, and guided him to the bed. With a wicked smile, she said, “Now, it’s your turn.”
Before she lay down, he stripped, the vein in his thick cock pulsing. Licking her lips, she stretched out her arms. “Come to me. Let’s have some real fun.”
“You’re on fuckin’ fire, precious. Just the way I like you to be.”
Her arms folded around him as their bodies fused from the heat of their nakedness.
Chas's Fervor: Insurgents Motorcycle Club (Insurgents MC Romance Book 3) Page 22