“Where the fuck… are your clothes?” he shouts.
I swear his voice echoes through my entire body. We’re back to this? What I’m wearing is perfectly fine—shorts and a bandeau. Jeez, even Daddy wasn’t this anal. Before I can say anything, he storms up to me and grabs my hand. Without stopping, he drags me behind him to his room, pushing me inside and slamming the door behind him. I haven’t even regained my balance before he grabs me again and forces me against the wall.
“What the hell, Gage?”
“Have you been drinking? Smoking?”
I roll my eyes. “No, Daddy.”
“I swear to God, woman. Don’t test me!”
“How?”
“You’re out there practically naked!”
“I am not!”
“You like that, huh? Being a fucking tease?” he asks, getting into my face.
A tease? “How dare you—”
I cringe as he slams his palm on the wall by my head and closes his eyes, trying to rein in his anger. Okay, I think it may be in my best interest not to push him right now.
“Just cover up, Raven,” he says, his words coming through clenched teeth.
“I don’t have anything else. This is all Chrissy brought.”
He pushes away from me and removes a T-shirt and sweat pants from his chest of drawers.
“Put these on. I’d rather not have to kill any of my brothers.”
Aah… now I get it. “For what? Looking at me?”
He doesn’t answer, but I know that’s the problem. He’s jealous… to the thousandth degree, but it’s kind of cute. I take his hand, pull him to the bed, and push down on his shoulders. Sitting on his lap, I wrap my arms around his neck.
“They’ve been really cool. A couple of them even pulled me aside and told me I was a total badass for what I did last night.”
“You were… are.”
He slides his arm around my waist and takes a deep, calming breath. I turn his face to mine and stare into his eyes. The rage is gone. I don’t want to rekindle it, but shooting that guy last night has been on my mind all day. Technically, I didn’t kill him, but it still weighs heavily on my conscience.
“About last night—”
“I told you to leave it alone.”
“Gage, I’ve never shot anyone before.”
“And you haven’t killed anyone, either. It’s all on me.”
“Not all. I shot him four times.”
“It was them or us. I’m proud of you for how you handled yourself.”
He’s proud of me for shooting someone. Not exactly what one strives for in life but hey, I guess this is my life now. “I have Reaper’s approval?”
“You always did.”
How does he do that? How does he make me forget why I’m concerned, hurt, or angry? How does he replace all my thoughts with only ones of him? I trail my finger down his stubbled jaw, the tiny hairs prickling me. “You’ve been gone all day. I missed you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
I place a few soft kisses on his lips before he finally gives in and takes over. He slowly works his lips over mine, teasing them with his tongue. I moan into his mouth, slipping my tongue in. The taste of peppermint hits me. Goosebumps pop up all over my body as he trails his fingers down my spine. I slide my fingers through his hair, leaning into him, needing to get as close as possible. He grabs my hair and pulls my head back, his gaze roaming my face.
“Change.”
“God! I hope you never have daughters,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
“How can you be so sure? Even you can’t command sons to be born.”
He slides me off his lap and heads for the door. With his hand on the knob, he turns to me, his expression stern.
“Because I’m not having children. Ever.”
That’s what he leaves me with. I stare at the door wondering what I’ve gotten myself into. Christ, he’s bossy. And that thing about kids? I would have never expected that. He’s so good with Mikey. Despite what I said, I do believe he’d be a good father. A very strict one, but a good one nonetheless.
Oh, well, it’s his choice. I definitely want kids someday. Someday far, far away, though.
I change into the sweatpants, drop it on my hips, and tie the strings to keep it in place. The T-shirt, I throw on over my bandeau and tie a knot in the back. I just hope he doesn’t get mad over me showing my belly button. I head back out, holding up the too-long legs of the pants. Chrissy’s in a corner cuddled up with Ron and smoking a joint, so I seek out Gage. He turns to me as I approach the bar where he’s sitting and drinking a beer.
“Better?” I ask, with a bit of attitude.
“Better.”
I wedge myself between his legs, lean against him, and drape his arm over my shoulder. He curls it around me, pulling me closer as I settle in and survey the room. These men are not at all what I thought they were. Crow, Motor, and Tek are off in a corner sharing a joint. Crow is so-named because he’s good at “clean-up.” You want to get rid of a body, he’s your man. He’s a big dude, with a buzz cut and a jagged scar running down his cheek. Motor, apparently, is an automotive wiz. He’s a little on the skinny side and has shaggy, blond hair. Tek looks more Goth than biker, complete with the black lipstick and eyeliner. He’s the club’s secretary and way better version of the Geek Squad. I’ve been told he can hack his way into anything.
Booker—that’s actually his real name—the prospect, is huge… and I’m not talking about muscles. He’s like a three hundred pound, grown-up version of Ham from The Sandlot—red hair, freckles and all. He and Ron don’t seem to have road names, but I’m sure that’s coming soon. Razor, I haven’t spoken to yet but he scares me a little. He pulls a disposable razor from his pocket and starts shaving. I guess that explains his name. Then there’s Rico, the road captain. He’s from Honduras and thinks he’s some kind of Rico Suave. I remember him hitting on me at the barbecue. He said I called him an asshole, but he had called me a bitch so we both decided we were even. He’s short and stocky with greasy, slicked-back hair.
Allah, he’s like the resident DJ or something. He won’t let anyone near his equipment. He’s really quiet, always bopping his head to music no one else can hear. Now, his nickname is just a bit scandalous, if I’m to believe Rico’s version. It started out pretty harmless. He would go around rapping Fabolous’ “Young’n” so much, they started calling him Holla Back. When that became too tedious, it was shortened to Holla. It all changed when a new Hound, who didn’t quite get it, kept screaming out “Allah!” while they were fucking. Needless to say, it stuck. He’s proud of it, too, smirking all the time Rico was telling the story. He’s a bit of milk chocolate with a close cut, wavy hair, teardrop tattoos, and platinum grills. I smile at him, playing away in the DJ booth.
He winks and points to me. “This one’s for you, li’l shawty.”
Rihanna’s “Hard” comes on and I throw my head back, laughing. I pop my collar for him and he scratches the record then plays it again. Yeah. I think he and I are going to be great friends.
Venom. He has a thing for snakes. He told me he has a dozen of them at his house. A dozen. Just thinking about it sends shivers up my spine. His house is one place I’ll never be visiting. He’s hot, though—shoulder-length black hair and muscles you get from lifting weights every day. He’s the club’s treasurer. Chopper, I absolutely adore. Physically, he’s like all the pictures I’ve seen of my dad’s father, only not Mexican. He’s doted on me all day, cooking for me and making sure I was comfortable. I don’t care what Gage says; Chopper is sweet. A few of the guys’ old ladies stopped by for a while and they were really cool, too. Everyone seems so different from what I thought. The old adage has never been truer—don’t judge a book by its cover.
I don’t know if it’s the man behind me or if I’m getting a contact high from all the weed smoke, but I’m feeling extremely relaxed. Better than I’ve fel
t in a long time, given the circumstances. With Chrissy being here and texting Toni all day, my mood improved as the day went by. Now, all Toni wants to talk about is Gage and when I’m going to fuck him. Like I haven’t been trying. I take a selfie with his arm around me and send it to her. She replies instantly.
Toni: Bitch! You gonna show me his face or nah?
Raven: Nope. Not yet.
Toni: Whatever. You need fi send on di pussy and stop hitch.
Toni’s parents are Jamaican. I know things are getting serious when she starts speaking Patois. At first, when she used to slip into the dialect, I couldn’t understand a word, but I pretty much have it down now. She thinks I’m the one stalling. Short of tying him up and taking what I want, I don’t know what else to do.
Raven: I’ve tried! He won’t do it until I turn 18.
Toni: You found the last man on Earth with morals? Sounds like a keeper.
Raven: We’ll see.
She sends me a song but I can’t listen to it now, so I leave it for later. I lay my head on Gage’s shoulder and he kisses my neck softly. The light touch of his lips on my skin makes me quiver. I close my eyes and let out a barely audible moan.
“You’re stayin’ with me tonight.”
I snap out of my lusty haze and turn my head, regarding him carefully. “What?”
“You heard me.”
Yes, I heard you. I just can’t believe what I heard. “I have to go home… and I have work tomorrow.”
“Millie won’t mind.”
“I can’t leave her shorthanded on a Sunday. Not with the church crowd.”
“Fine. I can take you to work in the morning.”
I turn around to face him and drape my arms around his neck. “You really want me to stay, don’t you?”
“I want you in my bed.”
“Aww… Mr. I-Don’t-Sleep-With-Anyone wants to cuddle?”
He scrunches his brows together as if the ramifications of me staying just occurred to him. He stares at me, and I can see the wheels turning in his head. Once he’s come to a conclusion, his face relaxes.
“I liked waking up with you next to me.”
Oh, damn. Fuck the world. If that’s what he wants, that’s what he’ll get. “Okay. I’ll stay.”
***Gage***
I’ll stay.
I never thought two simple words could make me so happy or that a woman could both infuriate and calm me to such degrees. I was about to explode when I walked in here and saw her bent over the pool table, her ass on display. I can’t believe she erased all that anger with just a touch.
She’s leaning against me once more, observing everyone. It’s a calm night—by our standards, anyways. With no Hounds around, the boys are pretty tame, but they’re still having a good time. They don’t seem to mind the girls. In fact, they look like they’re fitting right in. Rico yells something in Spanish and the girls burst out laughing. I have no idea what’s so funny, but the three of them start going back and forth. What I do know is that Rico’s enjoying having people around who speak his language.
E walks in and slowly takes in the scene. Once his gaze lands on me, his lips curl up in a smirk, and he heads our way. Asshole.
“Hi, Raven. How do you feel?”
“Great, Dr. E! Whatever you gave me last night, it knocked me right out.”
He looks up at me with a grin. Fucker knows I stayed with her last night, and I know I won’t hear the end of it.
“And you? How’d you sleep?”
“Just fine, Dr. E.”
I’m smiling, but he knows the “fuck off” look I’m giving him all too well. He chuckles, unable to hide his amusement.
“Do you still want me to do that thing for her?”
Shit. I totally forgot. “Yeah, yeah. Go with E, babe. He’s going to take care of you.”
“’Kay.”
She takes his hand as they walk away and jealousy rages inside me once again. I take deep breaths, reminding myself that this is my best friend. A man I’ve known all my life. My anger doesn’t dissipate until they return, though. She talks with Chrissy and they hug before her friend starts saying her goodbyes.
“Bye, Gage!” She waves at me.
“See ya, Chrissy. Ron, get Allah to go with you.”
I smile as Raven walks back to me, trying hard not to trip over my pant legs. Why do I feel so good seeing her in my clothes?
“I’m a little tired. I’m going to take a shower and lie down.”
“Okay, doll. I’ll be in soon.”
“’Kay. ’Night, boys!”
I’m surprised to hear a few disappointed groans and pleas for her to stay. Damn girl has bewitched my entire club. She giggles and waves them off as she leaves.
“She’s a good girl,” E states, taking the bar stool next to me.
I turn to him as I take a pull of my beer. “I know that.” He hands me a piece of paper that I unfold and see it’s Raven’s prescription. Finally, an advantage of having a gynecologist for a best friend. “Thanks. I’ll take care of it.”
“Take care of her.”
“Why the fuck are you talking like I’m getting married or some shit?”
He pats me on the back as he pushes the stool away from the bar.
“You’ll figure it out soon, brother. I’m out. Got a hot nurse to examine,” he says, waggling his brows.
“Yeah, you need to go fuck a pussy and stop being one.”
He gives me the finger and waves Booker over as he walks backwards out of the clubhouse.
“Come on, Booker. You’re with me.”
“Yes, sir.”
He leaves, but his words stay with me. I know she’s a good girl and I have no intention of hurting her. That’s why I’ve always been honest with her. I won’t let anyone else hurt her, either. Not as long as I’m breathing. As I grab another beer from behind the bar, I realize I care about her more than I thought. She’s slowly working her way under my skin, and I’m powerless to stop it. Do I want to? I don’t have a fucking clue.
I give Tek the card with the phone number I got from Cassidy. He nods and heads toward the rooms.
“I’ll see what I can dig up.”
“Tek… tomorrow, yeah?”
“Got it, boss.”
Razor winks at me as he leaves, jerking his head at Rico to follow. I hope that fucker knows what he’s doing. Cassidy is a real piece of work. With everyone else gone, Crow and Motor start grumbling about their old ladies. After they leave, I lock up and head to my room.
She’s in my bed, wearing one of my T-shirts with the club logo. Her knees are drawn up to her chest, those thick, juicy thighs taunting me. The only thing I can think is that she fits. She fits me, my club… She just fucking fits. She’s reading something on her phone and singing that Bonnie and Clyde song by Jigga, but stops and smiles up at me as I enter. I swear it’s the most beautiful sight in the world.
“Hey,” she greets me.
“Hey. What you doin’?”
“Trolling Amazon for free books.”
“Free? They can’t be very good.”
I sit on the edge of the bed and lean on the headboard. Like it’s the most natural thing in the world, she moves over right next to me. I drape my arm around her shoulders and she leans in to my side.
“Not really. Sometimes it’s promotional… or maybe the first in a series. They give that one away, and then you have to buy the others to finish the story.”
“I see.” I hand her my credit card and she gives me that big, beautiful smile again. I know, without a doubt, I would do anything to keep her smiling like that. “Get whatever you want.”
She launches at me, throwing her arms around my neck and squeezing tightly.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Fuck. All this over a few books? Not that I’m complaining. Trust me. “Doesn’t take much to please you, does it?”
“Nope. I just need your billing address please,” she says in a sweet voice, batting her lids.<
br />
Fucking cute. I give her my driver’s license and she looks down at it with a grin.
“Your middle name is Harley?”
“Yeah. Blame Chopper. If he had his way, it would have been my first name.”
“It’s cute... Harley.”
“I don’t do ‘cute’, baby doll.”
“Okay, Harley. Whatever you say.”
“What’s your middle name, smartass?”
“Selena.”
“Selena. I like that.”
“Thank you. Now, go away.”
She goes back to her phone and it’s like I don’t exist anymore. I leave her there and head into the shower. Yup, under my skin, all right.
CHAPTER 5
***Raven***
I feel like a kid in the candy shop…on Christmas and my birthday rolled into one. I got a couple books I wanted and I didn’t have to pay for them. Sweet. He just found the way to my heart. No. Not heart. What he’s after is a little farther south. Although lately, he seems different. The jealousy, the way he talks… He wouldn’t be like this if he didn’t care, right? Could he possibly want something more? No. I can’t think like this. That’s how I’ll end up getting hurt. He likes me and I like him. Let’s just leave it at that.
He walks back in, wearing those sexy-as-sin boxer shorts that don’t leave much to the imagination. I lick my lips and watch as he climbs into bed.
“Put away the phone. Book time is over.”
“Oh? What time is it?”
“Gage time.”
I burst out laughing, and he raises a curious brow.
“What’s so funny?”
“I just got this image in my head of you saying that while doing the ‘Hammer-time’ dance.”
I gasp as he grabs me by the waist and pulls me to him. Nothing is funny anymore. In fact, I don’t even remember why I was laughing. He takes my phone and places it next to his on the nightstand.
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