Devil in Black: A Motorcycle Club Romance (The Horsemen MC) (Midnight Angels Book 3)

by April Lust

  On and on they go, but it's not the only thing. All of those comments are made in jest, and there are plenty of kind ones mixed in. They call Victoria pretty and lovely and the best catch around. Mano personally makes a toast to their marriage, wishing them many long years together.

  Victoria feels like she's on top of the world. And when the first dance comes on, it makes her heart flutter.

  She takes Matt by the hand and leads him into the main section of the bar. For the first time in her life, she dances without restriction. For the first time in her life, she feels completely loved.

  Chapter 50

  Matt and Victoria are still searching for a new apartment to rent. For their special night, they've managed to rent a hotel out on the nearby beach. As soon as the wedding party is over, the duo rushes back to their hotel.

  She's pressed up against the wall before the door is even pushed shut all the way. Matt keeps one hand on her waist and paws at Victoria with the other, fingers curling against her breasts even through the fabric of my wedding gown.

  There’s no denying it feels good, and the spark of pleasure catches Victoria off guard. So do the teeth that dig into her lower lip and the tongue that slips into the cavern of her mouth. Matt kisses her hard and thorough, and his hands never quit roaming the expanse of her chest.

  “I’ve been waiting for this,” he all but pants the words against Victoria's skin. “I’ve been waiting for this from the very first day I met you. Most people, you know, most people, they don’t bother with that, with me, with people like me. That's why the boys of the club are so supportive over this. I'm sorry they got sort of nasty out at the bar. They just…That's their way of showing support.” He continues, “Most of us don't get a happy ending like this.”

  Victoria laughs. “I never thought I'd get a happy ending, either. I didn't think this would ever happen to me. Matt, I'm so happy. I've never been so happy!”

  “You are such a beautiful woman,” he tells her, curling down just enough to slip one hand up and under her skirt. The fabric bunches up on Victoria's waist, revealing the pair of sleek, silver panties Meg had given her to wear. They barely cover the swell of her ass, barely keep her wet pussy hidden from view.

  There’s a prominent bulge in the front of his black slacks. Victoria struggles for words. “Wait, Matt. You said something, once. You said you wanted to do—this—in public. We could…we could…do this out beneath the palm trees.”

  “We could,” muses Matt. His strong arms wrap around Victoria, scooping her up like he often does. Rather than simply spin her around, he presses her close against his chest. In Victoria's ear, he whispers, “But we’ve got a whole weekend just to ourselves. I’ve spent so much time thinking about you, about this and all the things I want to do to that pretty little body of yours—the things I’m going to do. You aren’t really going to make me wait longer, are you? We can go out to the beach tomorrow. Fuck, we can go out to the beach later tonight, if you want. I'll lay you down and spread you open and just say fuck to anyone who walks past.”

  A blush sits heavily upon Victoria's skin. Matt deposits her onto the bed, with her light green skirt still rucked up on her hips. It takes her a moment to realize this isn't going as fast it usually does.

  Matt takes great care in pulling her silver panties down. He takes great care in slipping Victoria out of her dress and then stepping out of his own suit. It doesn't take long before he's settled down on the bed, a tube of lubricant in one hand.

  “I know we've done this before,” says Victoria. “But it feels different now.”

  The ring is heavy on her hand. Victoria loves it, and she loves the man hovering over her, but she just can't find the words to say it. Matt presses a line of kisses to the side of her throat, peppers them over her shoulders. “Does it?”

  “It feels different now that we're married. Is that silly?”

  “No, that's not silly. Nothing you think is silly.”

  “You don't mean that. I know I say a lot of silly things. I'm just unsure of a lot of stuff right now. There's a lot going on—”

  Matt cuts her off with a vicious sort of kiss. His hands roam over Victoria's body, trying to touch every part of her, to grab her breasts. He wants to get close to her, as close as he could ever get.

  And then he's even closer—in her, slicked up with cold lubrication. Just like that, the tender touches are gone. Victoria hooks her legs around Matt's hips and rocks up to meet every one of his powerful thrusts. It's a desperate, needy sort of thing—let him touch her, let him feel her. It's something she's always wanted and never known how to voice.

  But right then, Victoria can voice it with no problems.

  Right then, she's in bed with her husband, and he's fucking her like it's going to be their last day on earth. The world pieces together with a startling sort of clarity. Heat devours her bones and turns her skin into molten gold.

  She moans and mewls under the assault, raising her voice when Matt says, “Fuck, I love to hear you when you sound like this.”

  The sound of skin hitting skin fills the air. It's a startling symphony, the best sort of sound. Matt pounds into her like a beast, and it might be the best thing Victoria has ever felt.

  Chapter 51

  The motorcycle rips into the parking lot of the hospital. It's the only thing there that's still moving. Most of the cars are older. There are no actual spaces open. Thankfully, Matt's bike doesn't need to get into a parking spot. He pulls it into one of the striped sections where there aren't any cars.

  An ambulance is going off. The sirens seem dull in comparison to the crashing of his own heart. Matt almost knocks the bike down when he gets off it. His helmet—a recent addition to the outfit—hits the ground.

  His boots pound against the pavement. He races into the front lobby of the hospital. Harmony Grove Medical Center is a strange thing because it's too big compared to the other buildings around it. It's the only hospital in the tri-county area, and the parking lot is always full. The waiting room is always packed.

  Right now, the front lobby seems crowded. The walls are white. The floor is white. It reeks of disinfectant, the sort of bitter clean that burns the back of Matt's throat. A plump, older woman sits behind the counter. Her shirt is covered in kittens, and she has makeup plastered on her face that is three shades too dark.

  “Hello,” she says in a sickly sweet voice. “What can I do to help you, young man?”

  Matt puts both hands on the counter. “I'm looking for my wife, Victoria.”

  “Can I get a last name?”

  It's a horrible moment, to be so worked up you can't even remember your last name. Matt's mind has suddenly gone completely blank. He stares at the nurse like she's just asked him the answer to the world's greatest, most ridiculous question.

  The nurse gives him a smile. She has dark purple lipstick smeared over her front teeth. Her fingers are already click-clacking on the keyboard. “Just give me a second. What's she in here for? An accident?”

  “Fuck,” spits Matt. “She's having a baby. She's having our baby!”

  This is the right hospital, isn't it? They were supposed to go to a different one, but their impromptu road trip changed things around.

  There's this dreadful moment of silence. It presses down on Matt's shoulders. He leans onto the counter, even though he knows getting closer won't get him answers any quicker. “Please, just tell me where the maternity ward is!”

  “On the third floor,” answers the nurse. “Sign in there. Someone should be able to tell you what’s going on.”

  Matt spits out a thank you, but he's already made it halfway across the room. The elevator takes too long and requires too much standing still. He races up three flights of stairs instead and bursts into the maternity ward as a huffing, puffing mess.

  Meg greets him. She throws her arms around Matt's neck and says, “I was worried you weren't going to make it!”

  “What did I miss? Is she doing okay?”

&
nbsp; “They say she's doing fine. Just—” Meg is cut off by the nearby hospital door opening. It's a doctor. He's wearing a pair of green scrubs.

  The doctor asks, “Is there a Matt in the room?”

  “That's me,” blurts Matt, racing over to the man. “It's Victoria, right? Is she okay? Is my baby girl okay?”

  “Your baby girl?” The doctor laughs. “Sir, allow me to be the first to tell you you're now the proud father of a strong, healthy baby boy.”

  “A boy,” echoes Matt, suddenly feeling numb. The entire world crashes down around him. He looks over his shoulder. “It's a boy! It's a boy!”

  Meg screeches. She jumps up and down, clapping her hands. “It's a boy! A boy! Go see him; go see both of them!”

  Matt turns to the doctor. “Can I?”

  “Of course,” says the doctor. He escorts Matt through a hall of closed doors. Finally, he pushes over one labeled twenty-seven.

  Inside, Victoria is stretched out on a bed. There's a white cotton sheet thrown over her body. Her face is still flushed, cheeks red. There's sweat matting her beautiful golden hair and a smile on her face that makes the entire world light up.

  And in her arms, there's a swaddled baby boy. His cheeks are full. A few wisps of golden hair curl at the top of his head.

  Victoria says, “You made it. Look, sweetie, it's your father.”

  “Holy shit,” says Matt. He walks over to the bed and sits down on the edge of it. Matt brushes his fingers over Victoria's forehead, runs them down the side of her cheek. “We've got a baby boy.”

  “I know we only had girl names picked out. I waited to choose a name for certain until you got here.”

  “Thanks, sweet cheeks. Damn, you look so perfect right now.”

  Victoria laughs. “I look horrible, and I know it. Now, quit with your flattery! This little fellow needs a name.”

  Matt asks, “Did you have something in mind?”

  “Yeah, actually. I was thinking George.”

  “George. That's pretty princely.”

  Victoria smiles. “My parents might have cut me off, but they never went through proper channels to disown me. Technically, this little fellow is a prince.”

  “Then George it is,” says Matt agreeably. He picks up the baby, holding him against his chest. “Hey there, little guy. I'm your daddy. I'm your daddy, and you are so damn perfect.”

  # # #

  The thing about stories is just that. They aren't real. Fairytales have perfect endings because they have been crafted for the ears of the young, for the craving minds of the inexperienced. It's made to soothe the hearts of children and to give you something to look for.

  Victoria, she spent her entire life looking for her fairytale. In the end, she found something better than that. She found a biker boy and a family to fall back on.

  And maybe even more important than any of that, she found herself. But right then, in that moment, things are okay. Fairytale endings come with money and gold and dragons slain. But real life never truly ends. George is three years old when Victoria finally gets up the gumption to start up her own fashion design company.

  She takes all of the sketches she's made over the years and gains an investor in the first week. Princess Victoria's line of clothing is a big hit; it's the ritzy look made on a cheap budget—thrift store prices and Paris-chic looks.

  She's so thrilled with herself, even though work is long. Today, for example, has Victoria working until almost eleven. She's the last one out of the building.

  Marshall, the security guard, nods at her when she goes past. He says, “Have a good evening, ma'am.”

  “Thank you, Marshall. You too. Enjoy the weekend.” Victoria smiles at him. She adjusts the strap on her art bag and heads for the car. Her heels clack against the pavement. There's no fear walking through here. There's nothing but steady comfort and a constant sort of peace. Bright lights leave the parking lot flooded.

  Victoria gets into the driver's side of her golden Prius and smiles. “It's been a good day.”

  Her feet hurt. She turns on the radio. It starts blaring some tune from a Disney show. It's a strange tune, but Victoria knows every word by heart. This is George's favorite station. The car smells like the McDonalds they got earlier in the week, a reminder that she needs to clean it out soon.

  Three years, this sort of life is only starting to be normal. Three years of doing things for herself, which is only now becoming a comfort. There are no more dreams of the past, but there are memories.

  The note, for example.

  Victoria will never forget the note.

  # # #

  Gabriella has never gotten back in touch with Victoria. She's never met her grandson, never held him or spoken to him. It's sad, but only for the Queen. Times like this, on the long drive back to her apartment suite, Victoria almost pities her mother.

  Being such a cruel woman, it must have been difficult to never have any real friends, never have anyone to fall back on. Now that Victoria can think about the subject with a mostly clear head, she often finds herself wondering if the Queen had always been like that, or if it was a position of power that had driven her to such horrible lengths.

  Whatever the state, it was a fault that lay firmly on the shoulders of the older woman. She still sniffed in disdain whenever the news spoke about the Vertsean royal family.

  And her father, well, he had never been a very outspoken man. It's no doubt why the couple has been able to mostly comfortably live together for all these years. They do what needs to be done, and he keeps his mouth shut, his gaze down.

  He's never spoken to his grandson either.

  At this point in her life, Victoria has come to terms with the fact that they most likely never will.

  It takes almost an hour to pull into her own parking lot. This one is a little less brightly lit, but the security gate set up around it makes the comfort levels sky rocket. It's code activated, and the code changes every four months.

  Victoria pops in the numbers without even having to think. She parks her car and then, almost giddily, heads into the main lobby. While she still lives in an apartment building, this one is a much better step up from the one that she and Matt used to share.

  The elevator works in this building. Someone is always sitting at the front lobby. Most importantly, the entire place doesn't look like it's about to come crumbling down at any given moment.

  The young woman sitting behind the front desk nods. “Evening, Victoria.”

  “Now,” huffs Victoria, “I keep telling you, just call me Tori!”

  “That's so impolite,” says the woman. Her name is Brenda. Brenda is short and plump, with a love for vintage clothing and her rainbow dyed hair shaved to the scalp on one half of her head, pulled into a braid on the other. She's a young thing that only just started working in the building.

  It's her first job. If Brenda plays her cards right, Victoria has plans on asking her to babysit George in the near future. At the moment, Meg gets stuck with that job most of the time.

  While Meg is a very good friend, she's also not the best at watching small children. Plus, this would be far more convenient and no doubt a boon to the teenager’s burgeoning responsibilities and sense of pride.

  “It's only impolite if I say it is,” says Victoria. “Now, try again.”

  Brenda rolls her eyes but humors the princess. “All right, fine. Evening, Tori.”

  “That's better.”

  “You seem to be working later every day.”

  “Just for now.”

  “Think things will change by the holidays?”

  “I know they will,” says Victoria, smugly. “I'm the boss, after all!”

  Brenda laughs, even though it wasn't much of a joke. She tugs at her braid. “The little one was down here earlier. He's just growing like a weed!”

  “Yes he is,” says Victoria, agreeably. “Yes, he most certainly is.”

  Chapter 52

  George, of course, is already in bed by t
he time Victoria gets there. She slips into his room, shakes him awake, and says, “Still up for that bedtime story?”

  “Momma!” George wraps his chubby arms around Victoria's waist. She's sitting on the edge of the bed, right next to him. “I thought you'd forgotten!”

  “I would never forget,” swears Victoria.

  The story goes like this:

  Richard Redbeard has sailed the seven seas and back again. He's a pirate the likes of which no one has ever known before, with a dream that is nigh impossible.