Penance (The Chicago Defiance MC Book 2)

by K E Osborn

  His smile falters as the color in his face drains like I’ve scared the life out of him. I can’t help it as I burst out laughing at his discomfort. “Oh, man… Sensei, you’re the worst at understanding my jokes. I’m kidding. Fuck! I don’t want to be a mom right now, I got too much shit to do… too much kink to explore… with you.”

  He lets out a stifled laugh as he slides on my other boot, and I stand up along with him and wrap my arms around his neck looking into his eyes. “Oh, yeah, I fucking like the sound of that. Definitely more kink to explore,” he adds.

  “Yes, we have a lot more to get through, you and me,” I tell him, and he leans in pressing his lips to mine briefly. A spark sizzles against my lips as he kisses me, and a tingle filters through my body. I love every second of kissing him. I’ve never had this kind of chemistry with a man before, and I have to admit, I really like this new feeling with Sensei.

  “I think I’ll like testing my boundaries with you. Not just in the bedroom… but in general. You push my buttons, Ayla. You’re unlike any woman I’ve ever fucking met.”

  I snort and shrug. “Good, then I’ll be the most memorable, too.”

  “Oh, yes, that is a certainty.”

  Raising my brow, I tilt my head fractionally. “One question, though.” He looks into my eyes, his darkening with the uncertainty of what I might ask. “What’s the graveyard?”

  He creases his brows and lets out a small laugh. “We have just fucked like that, had a semi-serious discussion, and you’re going back to something Scratch said about his ride?”

  “Yeah, it’s been bugging me. Why would he take a shell of his bike to a graveyard? That’s a little weird… even for him.”

  Sensei’s arms hold me tighter to him and he smiles. “It’s a bike graveyard. Where all our old bikes go when we retire them, or when the older brothers cannot ride anymore. Their bikes go there for storage. It’s where our bikes go that no one wants to get rid of, but have no use for anymore... a graveyard.”

  I nod. It makes sense, and I let out a small sigh. It’s cute how attached these brothers are to their rides. Sensei looks me up and down and smiles. “Right, well, shall I introduce you to my family then?”

  His mother walking in on us really has me mortified, so my eyes shift to the floor naturally. Normally I’m brash, I’m bold. Hell, I’m in your face. But I want to make a good impression on his parents, not have the first thing his mom sees me doing is riding her son’s cock while I orgasm.

  I mean geez!

  “I’m still humiliated your mom caught us like that, Sensei. I honestly don’t know if I can go out there and meet them all after that. I’ll just leave, and you can go and have a nice dinner with them.”

  He lets out a throaty groan as he steps up to me, his hands cupping my cheeks as he pulls my head up to look at him. His eyes hard, his lips in a thin line as he glares at me hard. “I’m not asking, Ayla. I’m telling you. You will come and meet my family because you’re stronger than the woman you’re showing me right now. And… because I want you to meet them… all of them… this is a non-negotiable. Do you understand me?”

  The deep tenor and dominance in his tone sends a shudder through me, but not in a bad way. It actually makes me want to start this whole kinky sex thing all over again. Seeing Sensei take charge of the situation like this is giving me the strength I need. I was feeling insecure, embarrassed about his mother seeing us like that, but him being so okay with it is making me feel like maybe seeing her will work out all right. If he wants me to meet his family so badly, I need to pull up my motherfucking panties and be a big girl. I can do this, not just for him, but for me.

  Taking a deep breath, I nod, my lips slowly turning up into a smile. He grins and leans in pressing his lips to mine briefly before pulling back. “Good girl. Let’s go.” He grabs my hand and leads me toward the door dragging me behind him as he walks hard and fast. A determination in him that I haven’t seen before. It’s actually kind of hot.

  A smirk grows on my face as I follow him, hand in hand as we walk into the clubroom. It’s alive and buzzing, the smells of a dinnertime feast are wafting through the air, and I smile as my stomach rumbles in delight. Men are at the tables as I spot an Asian family sitting on their own eating their dinner. Sensei drags me along with him toward them.

  I finally catch up pace with him, and move into his side. “Sensei, they’re eating dinner. Maybe we should get some ourselves, and we can do this another time?” I suggest trying to weasel out of it again.

  He simply shakes his head as we step up beside them. My feet stumble slightly as I hesitate to stand before them, but Sensei pushes me into place making them all look up. His mother’s eyes light up and shine with an almost humor as she looks at me. It makes me sink into myself even further. I turn back to glare at Sensei, but he smiles widely gripping my shoulders as if to parade me off like some trophy. “Family, I would like you to meet someone.”

  I turn back to look at them, my body slightly shaking as I take in his mother, his father, and the two young girls who are all staring right at me, all smiling.

  Actually, maybe this isn’t going to be such an issue.

  Sensei moves and sits me next to what looks like the youngest girl who’s wearing glasses as he slides in beside me, and I grin with a slight wave. “Hey, everyone, I’m Ayla! It’s so nice to meet you all,” I call out looking to his father, trying everything to avoid eye contact with his mother.

  His father is a good-looking man, but he doesn’t look like Sensei at all. His black hair is slicked back nicely, and his dark eyes shine brightly in curiosity. His mother smiles at me, her cute, pale round face is alight with crimson cheeks. She actually seems a little embarrassed at seeing me again too, while she looks at me with a slight smile. She gazes to her husband and gives a subtle nod. He obviously knows what she’s walked in on as he tries to hide his smirk.

  The little girl next to me turns and looks at me. “Hi Ayla, I’m Mei. How do you know, Rai?” she asks making her mother subtly clear her throat from the obvious memory of walking in on us as her husband nudges her in the side to make her stop.

  My stomach churns, but I figure I’ll try to downplay it and wrap my arm around little sister’s shoulders pulling her to me and grin. “Me and Raiden are good friends…” I glance over to see him assessing me closely. “Hopefully, I’ll be around for a little while, so I would like to get to know his family. If you’re okay with that?”

  She grins and nods. “I think we’d like that. What’s with the smear of grease on your arm?” Mei asks.

  She points, and I glance at the back of my arm noticing I missed a spot in the shower earlier. In an attempt to look really excited, I smile. “Ahhh, yes, the grease… I’m a mechanic. I help run my father’s garage.”

  The other sister beside Mei lets out a shocked gasp. “But… you’re a girl?”

  Sensei chuckles as I strengthen my shoulders and nod. “Exactly. So you now know that girls can do absolutely anything that boys can do. So, chicka, don’t you ever hold back in life,” I tell her and her eyes open wide like she’s in awe of me.

  “I’m Keiko, by the way.”

  I smile and move my hand out to shake hers. “Really nice to meet you, Keiko.” She shakes my hand as I glance over to Sensei’s parents who are still busily assessing me.

  Taking a deep breath, I look to his mother first and smile. “Hello again, nice to meet you properly this time. I’m mortified by what happened, and I want to apologize to you.”

  Sensei clears his throat and sits forward. “Yes, perhaps, Mother, you should learn the art of… knocking and waiting?” He tilts his head raising his brow.

  She grins at me and then looks at Sensei sheepishly bowing her head. “I am very glad to meet you, Ayla. I am Shinobu Maki, Raiden’s mother, and you… you’re so, so pretty.”

  Warmth floods through me as I grin at her. My shame starting to ebb and a sense of fondness creeping in. “Thank you, but honestly my mother had a
hand in that, she was a real beauty that one. My dad really drew the lucky card in their relationship.”

  Shinobu and the girl’s giggle, but his father still remains stoic and stern-faced.

  I look directly at him and sigh. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name?” I ask him directly.

  “Because I didn’t give it.”

  Oooh, tough crowd.

  “Father, Ayla is trying to embrace our family. It would be nice if you could be more permissive and do the same in return,” Sensei tells his father making me, his mother, and two sisters all turn to look at him, their brows all raising higher than what looks normal. I’m pretty sure he respects the shit out of his father, so him defending me to him is a pretty big deal. I’m actually really fucking impressed right now.

  But his father bows his head and sighs seeming slightly less impressed. He sits forward on his chair, his forearms resting on the woodgrain of the table as he looks over, appraising me, and cracks his neck to the side. “I don’t know how to take you! I work with integrity and truth. Why should I allow you near my son?” Determination glows in his eyes.

  I sit back and let out a long breath. “Hmmm… integrity and truth. Okay… I can work with this. The thing is, I’m straight up, I talk too much, I cuss, I burp…” I watch his father cringe, but he wants the truth so continue anyway, “… I crush beer cans, I drink, and I don’t talk like a proper woman should. I don’t fit into a box. I’m myself. I won’t be constrained, not for anyone. I love what I do and care about the quality of my work. I love fiercely. I sure as hell am not a quitter. I don’t back down from anything, and it gets me in trouble sometimes…” I pause. “I don’t know you. I don’t know your family. Hell, I hardly know, Sensei. I’ve only just found out right now that his surname is Maki… but what I do know is that…” I shrug and look to him with an honest smile, “… I kinda like him. I want to get to know him more, and if you’re okay with me hanging around… then that would be pretty…” I pause, stopping myself from swearing out of respect, then continue, “… epic for me.” I mean having to practically give a resume of my personality for whatever this is with Sensei so soon, is freaking strange to me, but I like him. If this is his family’s way of accepting me into the fold, then hey, whatever floats your boat.

  Sensei’s grip on my knee tightens, and I think he’s telling me to stop, that I went too far, but when I glace at him the look in his eyes is soft, like he’s proud of what I’ve just said. The knee grab was a show of support, not of restriction.

  His father nods once as he sits back and relaxes his posture. “Okay,” he simply says.

  Raising my brow, I tilt my head in confusion. “Okay?”

  He nods. “Yes, you can date my son. But if he gets too distracted from the task at hand, you will be gone quicker than you came.”

  Jolting back in shock, I let out a bemused laugh. I hadn’t realized I was asking for permission to date Sensei, but I can see how it came across that way, and I guess it’s not a bad thing. Having his family’s loyalty is, I suppose, what I came out here for. So their blessing is kinda like the same thing, right?

  Something he said clicks over in my mind, and I look to Sensei. “Task at hand? What does that mean?”

  Sensei’s face falls as he looks at me, but his father leans forward and shakes his head. “No. You are not privy to club business, nor family business. You are not an Old Lady. You do not have privileges,” his father calls out, his voice stern and laced with venom.

  Raising my brow, Sensei winces, but I can see a look of agreement.

  I nod my head and sigh. “Okay, I get it, club business and whatnot.”

  “Ayla, there is something happening at the club right now which I cannot go into detail with you about. It does involve my family and me. That is all I can divulge at this time,” Sensei tells me, and I like that he’s at least given me that.

  I can’t help noticing he’s talking far more formally in front of his parents.

  It’s kind of a turn on.

  Focus, Ayla!

  “Thanks, that’s all I needed to know. I get the club has their rules and regulations. I know it all too well, and I can abide by whatever you decide to tell me. You just gotta ask me, you don’t have to tell me. I can follow rules, even though my initial instinct is to break them.”

  Sensei grins as I place my hand over his on my knee, and he bows his head in a gesture of thanks.

  “I will admit, I like your forward nature, Ayla. My name is Hiro. You certainly are not the type of woman I imagined would be taking the eye of my son, but you treat him well, and we will have no further issues,” Hiro suggests, and I smile at him.

  “If I’m not mistaken, the name Hiro in Japanese can mean abundant, generous, tolerant, and prosperous… I think you are all of these things, Hiro. I know a man of honor when I see one, you ooze all of that. I know you’re looking out for Raiden, but I’m not the bad guy… I’m only here to keep him entertained, and by the sounds of it, you have some actual bad guys out there looking for you and the club, so please don’t throw me in the basket with them.”

  Hiro finally cracks a smile as Sensei tenses beside me. I pick up a French fry from Mei’s plate and pop it into my mouth, the hit of salt smacking me in the face as I glance at her and smile. “Mei, lay off the salt, that much sodium will clog your arteries.”

  “See, I told you!” Keiko points her finger in her sister’s face while Mei rolls her eyes and shoves some fries into her mouth not seeming to care.

  Hiro raises his brow at me. “I see your point, Ayla, and I trust when you say you will be only a good influence on Raiden. He needs a yang to his yin. I believe you will be the light for his dark.”

  I tilt my head. “Hmm… deep… deep, but I certainly get your point.” I chuckle as Sensei sighs.

  “I think we have pestered you enough for one night. Mother, I apologize for how you first met Ayla tonight…” a blush creeps up on his mother’s face again as I grimace watching her, “… but we will depart now and leave you to your dinner, while we have some ourselves…” he looks at me, “… if you would like to?” he asks me using a different tone. Normally, I’d expect him to just tell me I’m having dinner with him, but I like that he’s asked me this time. It’s almost as if he’s asking me on a date, so I figure I’ll play that angle and tease him a little.

  “You asking me out on a dinner date, Sensei?”

  He looks at me while gritting his teeth with an intense stare like he’s annoyed with my mocking tone.

  “Ayla, eat dinner with me.”

  And there it is, his tone’s more demanding.

  I let out a laugh and nod. “Aaand he’s back. The answer is… yes, Sensei. I will go on a date with you.”

  “You guys are so weird,” Mei murmurs from behind me, making Keiko laugh as I giggle along with them.

  “Jesus Christ,” Sensei murmurs standing up beside me as his mother tuts, her tongue clicking to the roof of her mouth.

  “Raiden, Jesus may not be our Kami, but still, do not use his name in vain,” Shinobu berates Sensei.

  He bows his head. “Of course, Mother… I apologize. Now, Ayla, kindly escort me to dinner?” His attitude has changed to a far more formal tone, and I can’t help but smirk.

  “Why, thank you, kind sir, I would love nothing more,” I reply in a sickly sweet tone as I stand, but glance back to Mei and wink at her as she giggles. “Later, chicks,” I murmur, and they both wave as I look back to his parents and smile, giving a little wave to his mother. She smiles as Sensei places his hand on my lower back and ushers me away to another table.

  I relax slightly against him, his hand on my back doesn’t lift up as we approach another table, and he gestures for me to sit down as I slide onto the bench. He follows, his arm now sliding around my waist, almost protectively, almost like ownership, and I like it. He pulls me, so we are side by side completely as I look up to him and let out a long sigh. “So, did I pass your test?”

  His eyes soften a
s he looks into mine. “I wasn’t testing you.”

  I grin and nod. “I know, but if you were, would I have passed?”

  He chuckles. “Well… my sisters love you, of that I’m sure. I think my mother is in awe of your beauty, she seems fairly wrapped up by—”

  “And your father?” I interrupt.

  He pulls me closer and smiles at me. “You gained my father’s respect… that’s a fucking hard thing to do. You have a way about you, Ayla. You have the mouth of a teenage boy, but the sass of a fierce woman. I don’t understand you, but I am completely… enamored by you.”

  I stifle a laugh and raise my brow. “A teenage boy, huh? Wow! Slick, that is sexy.”

  He tilts his head. “Yeah… slick,” he mocks with a dose of extra-laced sarcasm. “It is.”

  Bursting out laughing, I see his point. I guess my flair for the creative word does make me sound a little adolescent at times, but fuck, I’ve always talked like this. I’ve grown up around boys my entire life, so I was bound to sound like them. “Well, fuck it…” I shrug. “I am who I am.”

  Sensei nods. “And I wouldn’t want to change any part of you, Sakura.”

  My eyebrows crease at his mention of the wrong name, and I scoff folding my arms over my chest. “Ahh… that’s not my fucking name, Sensei.”

  He laughs like he’s amused by my outrage. “Oh, it’s definitely your name, Sakura…” He pauses. “It’s Japanese for sass, and I’m going to call you Sass from now on.”

  His words make me melt inside as I sink into my seat. “You’ve given me a nickname? That’s actually really sweet.”

  He tilts his head taking my hand in his as a busty brunette waltzes over to us, her boobs almost seem too big for her tiny body as she steps up to us with a bright smile on her gorgeous face.

  “Sensei, my sweet, would you and your company like some dinner?” she asks in a chirpy voice as she glances at me, her dimples make an appearance below her twinkling eyes. I like her instantly.

  “Ruby… yes. Thank you,” Sensei replies not looking at her, his eyes not leaving mine the entire time.