White Knuckles

by Autumn Jones Lake

  Rock calls me down to the war room early the next morning. I find him in his regular spot on the phone and he holds up a finger, then points to my chair. So far, I’m the only other one here.

  Murphy comes in as Rock’s hanging up the phone. “What’s up, prez?”

  “You might as well hear this, too.” He tips his head toward the door. “Close that.”

  As soon as I take my seat again, he hits me with the news. “Got a call from Tony. Coroner’s office identified the body. It’s Twitch,” he says.

  “Fuck. I knew…fuck.” My fist slams into the table, and I barely feel the impact.

  “I’m sorry. They’re waiting until they notify his family before—”

  “Yeah, good luck with that,” I snarl. Even if the cops manage to find Twitch’s useless family, they won’t give a shit.

  “I think we were the closest thing he had to family,” Murphy adds.

  “I know.” Rock sighs and sits back. “You’re not gonna like this next part.”

  I shoot a glare at him. “I don’t like any of this.”

  “From what I understand, they’re having a hard time determining whether the fire was intentional or a prank that got out of hand.”

  “So, they want to lay all the blame on Twitch.”

  “Brother, that will be the easiest way for it to go down and you know it. Now let me finish.”

  I nod for him to continue.

  “The gym was successful. There’s no motive. From what Tony says, unless the DA’s office thinks they can get a conviction, they might not keep investigating.”

  “Let me guess, for some cash, Tony can convince them to definitely drop it.”

  “Right.”

  “How much we talking?”

  He shakes his head. “I’ll handle that part of it.”

  “Rock—”

  He holds up a hand, cutting me off. “Don’t argue with me. I’m not in the mood.”

  “You think Brand can be called off that easy?” Murphy asks.

  “Fuck him,” Rock growls. “He gets told to back off, he better back the fuck off.”

  Teller, Dex, Stash, and Sparky join us.

  “Where’s everyone else?” I ask.

  “CB,” Dex answers. “I’m headed down there next.”

  Dex drops into the chair next to me, and I turn toward him. “Thanks for helping Trin out yesterday.”

  “No problem.” He sneaks a look at Rock. “Trin was fine.”

  Rock chuckles. “You tryin’ to say something about my woman?”

  “Noooo, prez. She was a delight.”

  Murphy chuckles and tips his chair back. “Unless you had to go to the spa and dress shop with them, I don’t wanna hear your bitching.”

  “You planning to bring that up forever?” Teller asks.

  “Yes.”

  I sit back, covering my face with my hands and stare up at the ceiling for a few minutes. Figure the odds of me not kicking someone’s ass are better this way.

  “You need one of us at CB, too, boss?” Sparky asks. The question makes me open my eyes. Sparky almost never volunteers to leave the basement.

  Rock’s staring at him. Actually, everyone’s staring at Sparky. “What?” he asks, glancing down at the table. “I just want to help out.”

  “You are helping out. We need a healthy crop now more than ever,” Rock says.

  That seems to satisfy Sparky. He turns my way. “Your counters are in if you want to take Trinity over to your house today.”

  “Yeah? When’d that happen?”

  “Finished up last night.”

  “Thanks.” Finally something good I can tell Trinity. “You done with me, prez?”

  The corner of Rock’s mouth twitches. “Yeah. Go.”

  Last I knew, Trinity was in our room and that’s where I find her. “Hey, babe. Come take a walk with me.”

  “Where?” she asks as she throws on a sweatshirt and follows me out the door.

  “You’ll see.”

  I don’t have a key to the house, because honestly, who the fuck would have the balls to break into anything up here?

  The floorplan is open like Rock’s house, but we had a lot more windows and skylights added. Sliding glass doors open to a large deck and wrap around porch. Whatever Trin wanted I made sure she had.

  “Oh my God.” Trinity hurries over to the kitchen. “These aren’t the counters we picked out.”

  “I wanted you to have something nicer.”

  “Nicer? These are beautiful.”

  She has her elbows on the counter, cute little ass tipped up, and she’s running her hand over the colorful granite swirls when I step up behind her. “It’s called Peacock Blue, even though it’s more black with blue and green flecks,” I explain as I trace my fingers over the peacock feather tattooed on her shoulder and down her spine. She shivers under my touch and turns to face me.

  “I love it.”

  I fit my hands into the curve of her waist and lift her onto the counter.

  “Hmm, interesting height,” she teases, wrapping her arms around my neck.

  “Huh. Look at that.” The corner of my mouth turns up in a lopsided grin as I grind my hips into her.

  I lean over and press a kiss to her lips. “We’ll move the last of our stuff over after we get back from our honeymoon.”

  She pulls away, worry creasing her brow. “Can you even go? They told you to stay local—”

  “Fuck that. We’ve had that trip booked for months.”

  She hesitates. “Do you have any news about—”

  I cut her off with another kiss. “No. No bad stuff in our house. We’ll talk about it later.”

  Her eyes search mine for a few seconds before she nods in agreement.

  There’s nothing except Trinity and me right now. In the house where we’ll spend our life together. Our eyes meet and I’m done. Every time. Those eyes hold me captive and fucking own me.

  She hooks her legs around my hips, drawing me closer. “What’re you doing, angel?”

  Her hands drop to my belt, expertly sliding it open while her eyes never leave my face. Once again, the riot in my head quiets because of her. Her fingertips feather over my cock as she takes me out, teasing at first, then gripping me harder.

  My fingers hook into her pants and drag them down her legs. She helps by kicking off her shoes, and I drop her pants to the floor. “No panties, Trin? Bad girl,” I tease.

  “Well, I was hopeful.”

  “Hopeful for what? Did you want to get dirty in the woods?”

  “Maybe.”

  I stop and admire her little naked ass on the counter. Fuck, she looks good like that. “Next time.”

  “How did this happen?” she asks, knocking me out of my lust-fog.

  “What’s that?”

  “Somehow I’m naked on our new kitchen counter and you’re standing there—”

  “With my dick out?”

  Her soft laughter rocks through me, while she wraps her hand around my cock again. “Fuuuck, that feels good, angel.”

  She strokes me slow and even, as if we have all the time in the world. I’m dying to bury myself in her but enjoying myself way too much to stop.

  “Take your shirt off, Wyatt,” she whispers.

  I pull it up over my head, drop it on the floor and take her in again. Flushed cheeks, teasing eyes, tempting lips.

  I crouch down, cursing the loss of her hands on my cock. “Lean back.”

  “Wyatt?” Nervous laughter follows.

  Gently, I wrap my hand around one foot, then the other and place her heels on the counter, spreading her wide. “Perfect, Trin.”

  I slowly brush my mouth against the inside of her knee and up her inner thigh. She’s moaning before I even get my tongue on her. Her body jumps when I flick her clit with my tongue. The muscles in her legs flex and quiver. I can’t keep my fingers out of her. She’s drenched. So ready for me. I lick, suck and swirl my tongue around her clit, while my fingers drive into her.r />
  Her breathing’s ragged, and she lets out a bunch of high-pitched noises, so close to the edge. I can’t wait another second. She whimpers when I stand, but a second later, I fit my hands over her hips and drag her ass to the edge of the counter.

  “Keep those legs spread.” My voice is so damn rough, but she responds to it perfectly, staying open the way I want her. “I need to bury my dick in you.”

  “Do it.” She stares into my eyes, daring me.

  Slipping my hands under her legs, I tilt her to the angle I need and slide in. A low groan works out of my throat.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck, Wyatt.” Her head drops, and she watches me slide in and out.

  I take one of her hands, placing it over her clit. “Touch yourself.”

  At first she’s tentative. I pick her hand up and suck her fingers into my mouth, then put them against her pussy. Her fingers dance around for a few seconds. Finally, she circles her clit. She bites her lip, and her eyes flicker up to meet mine. That’s all it takes, her body trembles, ready to go over.

  “You gonna come for me already?”

  “Please?”

  Cupping the back of her head, I lean down and kiss her. She responds eagerly, gripping my arms, holding on to me while she comes apart. A few second later, lights gather in my vision and I explode. After coming for what seems like forever, I stagger backwards. She reaches for me, and I take her hand.

  “Give me a second.”

  Glancing around, I let out a curse. “There’s nothing in the house to clean up with.”

  Her body shakes with laughter, and she falls against me. “You’re going to regret doing the no underwear thing,” I murmur against her ear, which only makes her laugh harder.

  I hold her until her laughter fades, stroking her hair and back. Once we step outside, there’s all sorts of shit I don’t want to deal with waiting for me.

  After we’re dressed, she glances around the kitchen. “Every time I’m cooking in here, I’m going to remember this day.”

  “Should we build a shrine on this part of the counter?”

  Soft laughter eases out of her. “No, but we should keep that one strictly for sex.”

  “Fine by me.”

  “Wyatt, I’m scared,” she blurts out. Her soft, honey eyes stare up at me. I don’t have to ask what she’s afraid of.

  “I know, baby.” Inside I’m wrestling with whether I should tell her Rock can probably get me clear of the arson charges. But I hold back in case things don’t work out.

  “I’m scared to get too excited about this.” She waves her hands around, indicating the house, our lives, the freedom to do whatever we want whenever we want. “In case it all gets ripped away.”

  It’s almost exactly the way I feel. Cautious. I pull her into my arms and hold her, trying to reassure her with my body instead of words.

  I need to be strong for her, so I keep my own fear locked down.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Three days before the wedding.

  Another phone call wakes me. I’m starting to dread the damn thing. If I wasn’t waiting for information from the insurance company, I swear I’d chuck it in the woods.

  It’s not my regular cell, though. It’s a burner I use for club business. I hope like fuck that means someone has a lead on who started the fire. My hands are aching with the need to snap someone’s motherfuckin’ neck.

  I don’t recognize the voice on the other end right away. “How’s it going, Wrath?” He hacks and coughs into the phone.

  “Who is this?”

  Next to me, Trinity stirs and sits up, watching me intently.

  “Who you think?”

  Ransom. “What do you want?” I place one hand over the phone and mouth to Trinity. “Get Rock and Z to the war room.”

  She scrambles out of bed and darts out the door. My attention returns to the phone call.

  “How’s the fitness business? Hear it’s been hot lately.”

  No fucking way. I can’t believe this asshole pulled that off by himself.

  “Sorry, we’re closed to new members.” I slip out of bed and pull on a shirt, while walking into the hallway.

  “What’s wrong? Gotta find your prez? Know you can’t find your own dick without him. Go ahead, I’ll wait.”

  Ignoring that, I ask, “Why’re you bothering me this early in the morning?”

  “I want my club back.”

  “From what I hear, you don’t have a club no more.”

  “Your fault.”

  “I don’t think so.” I flick on the speaker and set the phone on the table as Rock and Z walk in. Quietly, they take their places. What the fuck’s written on both their faces. “Ransom,” I mouth.

  “Ah, your prez on the scene? Must like you, the way he got there all quick,” Ransom says.

  “What’s up, Ransom?” Rock asks.

  Crackling comes over the line. Ransom moving to another location maybe. “Your club’s taken a lot from me in the last few years.” No matter how hard Ransom tries to sound civilized, there’s no way to disguise the evil in his soul. It bleeds into his voice every time he opens his mouth.

  “It’s your own fault, man.”

  “Took my girls,” he continues, ignoring Rock’s comment. “Pushed me outta my own territory. Killed my best friend.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Teller and Murphy storm in, and I’m ready to jump out of my fucking chair. Sitting around talking, playing games with this asshole has me ready to kill someone.

  Ransom’s voice takes on a sharper quality. “At least own up to all the shit you done, Rock.”

  “Interesting advice coming from someone who ordered a hit on an innocent girl.”

  “Who? Mariella?” He spits her name out like a curse. “Whores ain’t innocent.” There it is. I knew this fucker couldn’t pretend to be normal for long.

  Rock’s jaw clenches. “What do you want?”

  “The pretty blonde girl.”

  My eyes go to Rock. No.

  “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

  “Wrath’s girl,” he says slowly, drawing the words out. “He used to bring her to his fights.”

  Once. One fucking time. I’ve been paying for it ever since.

  “Fuck, no,” I snap.

  He chuckles. “Yeah, thought so. Figure fair is fair. You took out Killa. Now I take your girl.”

  Technically, Murphy took Killa out, but that’s not relevant or helpful at the moment.

  “Seems like you got some bad information, Ransom,” Rock says.

  “My info’s solid and you fucking know it.” Ransom’s done toying with us. “Hand her over or I’ll incinerate your other business. Maybe this time, it’ll be full of dancers instead of just a pathetic prospect.”

  “Could you be any more predictable, you crazy fuck?” Rock answers in a bored tone, completely at odds with the fury burning on his face.

  Rage turns my voice almost robotic. “Go ahead, motherfucker. Burn everything I own to the goddamn ground.”

  “Crystal Ball’s a club business. You sure the rest of your brothers feel the same? Prez, you gonna let that arrogant, cocksucker enforcer of yours be the reason you’re picking through rubble and charred remains of dead whore dancers? Can your club afford to have arson investigators sniffing around another burned-down business?”

  “We’ll get back to you,” Rock says.

  “No, we—” Rock holds up his hand, cutting me off, and my fist slams into the table. Z snatches up the phone, shutting it off.

  “You out of your fucking mind?” I explode.

  “Brother, we need to nail this fuck once and for all,” Z says.

  “You ain’t doin’ it using Trinity.” I drill Rock with a stare. “Would you offer up Hope if he asked?”

  He winces but holds my gaze. “No,” he answers steadily.

  “Then don’t you dare fuckin’ ask me to. I don’t care how well we plan. All sorts of shit can go wron
g. I won’t risk her.”

  “I’m not asking you to.”

  “Not yet,” I snap, because I know where we’re headed as soon as everyone gets here. They’ll take a vote.

  Not happening.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Murphy asks.

  “Ransom slithered out from under his rock,” Z explains. “Where’s everyone else?”

  “On their way.”

  “Please tell me I heard wrong?” Teller asks.

  I can’t even say it. I don’t want anyone else knowing about Ransom’s threat or his demand for Trinity.

  Z fills them in on the parts they missed.

  Teller sits back in his chair. “No fucking way. Absolutely not.”

  A fraction of my anxiety fades with his words. Maybe in the back of my head I’d been worried he’d be eager to offer Trinity up since he can’t have her. It was a shit thing to even think. “Sounds like a bullshit distraction. We need to focus on what he’s planning while he thinks we’re distracted with this,” Teller says.

  “He’ll burn down Crystal Ball anyway,” Murphy adds. “He’ll keep coming at us.”

  Z whips out his phone. “I’m telling them to shut it down early.”

  “Jesus Christ.” Rock sits back, pinching the bridge of his nose.

  “I’ll do it.” Trinity’s soft voice comes from behind me, and my anger spikes.

  Why the fuck is she in here?!

  My racing heart won’t calm down. Rage, unlike any I’ve felt in a long damn time blows through me. My body jerks around in my seat. Seeing Trinity standing in the doorway doesn’t calm me down like it normally would. No, if anything I’m even more enraged. By sheer force, I keep my ass in my chair so I don’t toss her the fuck out of the room. She’s pale, shaking, scared as fuck, yet she just made this insane offer. Through clenched teeth, I spit out the only response I can.

  “Get. Out. Now.”

  Whatever this is, by the look on Wyatt’s face and the way he told me to find Rock, it has to be bad. I’m standing outside the war room door, the only sounds coming through the thick wood are angry voices.

  A few seconds later, Teller and Murphy slam into the clubhouse. They zero in on me right away. “They at the table?” Teller asks.