by Harley Wylde
He sprawled on his back on the pavement. Hatred blazed in his eyes as he struggled to his feet. I didn’t give him a chance to come after me again. I landed a right hook to his temple and he went down, knocked out cold. Sirens sounded in the distance and it wasn’t long before red and blue lights came into view.
I opened the Bronco door and reached for MaryAnne. She shook so damn hard I thought I heard her teeth rattle. I unbuckled her and helped her down. I was trying to shake the glass from her clothes when two officers approached, guns out and pointed at me.
“Hands where I can see them,” the older of the two said.
I slowly lifted my hands and turned to face them. “Just trying to get the glass off my woman. The asshole on the ground smashed a metal pipe into the window. She’s been hurt.”
Two of the diner employees rushed out, both leaping to my defense. I noticed one was Beth.
“He didn’t do anything but defend himself and his wife!” Beth wrung her hands. “I called you. That guy came out of nowhere.”
Wife. I liked the sound of that. I tried to look at MaryAnne to gauge her reaction. She took a step closer to me, but her eyes were huge and full of unshed tears. I wanted to hold her, but I didn’t dare move in case either of the officers was a little trigger happy.
The older cop lowered his gun a fraction. “Self-defense?”
I nodded. “I was just having dinner with my wife. Came out and helped her into the Bronco. Soon as I closed the door, I saw his reflection. He swung at me and ended up busting out the window. The glass cut my wife. He swung at me again and caught my arm when I lifted it to block him from hitting my head.”
The older one eyed me a moment. “Raise your sleeve. Nice and slow.”
I lifted it and winced, noticing the skin had split open. Didn’t look bad enough to need stitches, but it didn’t exactly feel amazing. The older cop lowered his weapon the rest of the way and motioned for the younger one to do the same.
“Name’s Officer Bowers, and this is Officer Jenkins. We’ll get the guy into cuffs and put him in the car, but I’m going to need an official statement from you if we’re going to hold him.”
“I need to finish getting the glass off my wife’s clothes, and she needs medical care.”
“So do you,” Officer Bowers said. He reached for the mic at his shoulder. “Dispatch, need a box at 223 Main. Two injured.”
“Box?” MaryAnne asked.
“Ambulance,” the officer said. “Looks like a box on wheels.”
She smiled faintly and I started shaking the glass from her clothes again. Getting the window on the Bronco repaired wasn’t going to be fun. Normally, I’d do it myself, but I might pay someone else this time around. Wouldn’t be too hard for an auto glass place to track down one that would fit the big beast.
When the EMTs arrived, I had them check MaryAnne first. They cleaned and treated the wounds on her face and neck, which seemed to be superficial, then worked on my arm. I’d been right about not needing stitches, but they put some butterfly strips across it once it had been disinfected.
Officer Bowers came over with a wallet in his hand. “Says here the man’s name is Walter Wilcox. Lives two towns over.”
“Never heard of him,” I said.
“He didn’t say anything before he attacked?” Officer Bowers asked.
“No. Just appeared at my back and swung. I have no idea why he came after me. Never seen him before. I typically recognize anyone I’ve pissed off.”
The officer chuckled. “Well, we’ll haul him in and see what we can find out. On the off chance he isn’t acting alone, might want to keep a close watch on your wife. And be careful.”
I shook his hand and walked over to the Bronco. There was too much glass for her to sit in the front, so I folded the seat down and helped her into the back. “Sorry, Little Bit. Can’t have you riding up here with all this glass.”
“I just want to go home. Are you sure you’re all right?”
I kissed her forehead. “I’m fine. Promise. I’m afraid it’s going to be a bit cold since the window is gone. I’ll get us home as quick as I can.”
I’d have Wizard look into Walter Wilcox and see what he could find out. I didn’t think this attack was about MaryAnne. I hadn’t seen him in any of the videos, and she hadn’t seemed to recognize him. This was either personal, or had something to do with the club. Unless it was a case of mistaken identity. Either way, I needed to know it was over now that he was being hauled off to jail, or I’d be looking over my shoulder every time I went out with MaryAnne.
I helped her into the house and held her hand, keeping her still a moment. “You know, Beth referred to you as my wife, and so did I. You didn’t look too startled by it.”
Her cheeks warmed. “Maybe it was wishful thinking.”
I tipped her chin up. “You want to be my wife? You’re already mine in any way that counts with the club, but if you want my name too, it’s yours.”
“You’d marry me?” she asked.
“Either the old-fashioned way, or I could ask Wizard to hack the county and state systems to make it happen. I’m good with whatever you want.”
“I don’t think I’d like a crowd of people at a wedding. If it’s just us anyway, I don’t see why we should go to the cost and trouble of standing in front of someone to say vows. Can you ask Wizard to do it?”
I nodded and pulled out my phone, putting it on speaker as it rang.
“Patriot, everything okay?” he asked. “Got an alert you had a chat with the police.”
I snorted. Of course he had. Any time anyone in the club was linked to an incident in the police systems, he got a notice about it. Illegally, but still accurate.
“Some asshole smashed the Bronco window and tried to bash in my head. I’m fine, and MaryAnne is good. Got a few cuts, but she’ll be okay.”
Wizard whistled. “What do you need?”
“Two things. First, can you do whatever magic Wire has done in the past to make MaryAnne my wife?”
“I’d love to! Congratulations!”
“Thank you,” Mary Anne said.
“What else?” Wizard asked.
“The man who attacked me is Walter Wilcox. I’ve never heard of him and didn’t recognize his face. See if you can find out why he would come after me. I need to know it’s safe for MaryAnne to leave the compound.”
“I’m on it. I’ll text when I have something.”
I ended the call and shoved the phone back into my pocket. “Do I need to bring your baking stuff in tonight?”
She shook her head. “It’s not anything that will ruin. Unless it rains.”
Shit. I hadn’t even thought of it raining, or maybe even snowing. “Give me a minute to put something over the window, and I’ll go ahead and bring your stuff in. Why don’t you head up and take a shower? Might feel better. Just be careful with those cuts.”
She went up on her tiptoes to press her lips to mine. “Don’t be long.”
My dick went hard as steel. I ran my hand down my beard as she went upstairs. Fuck but she was sexy. And mine. Once Wizard did his thing, she’d be mine in all ways. I had to be the luckiest bastard alive.
I rushed through taping a trash bag over the busted window and left the sacks of her baking supplies in the kitchen on the counter. After I let Archimedes out, covered Hatter’s cage, and settled the kitten, I let the dog back in and kenneled him before locking up. Taking the steps two at a time, I hurried to our room. The shower was still going. I stripped out of my clothes and boots, then went to join my almost-wife. And this time, I’d make sure I fucked her in the bedroom like I should have the first time instead of up against the shower wall.
Or maybe I’d do both.
Chapter Nine
MaryAnne
The moment I heard the shower door open, my nipples hardened. I could have rationalized it as being from the cool gust of air. I knew that wasn’t it. No, my body responded to the nearness of Patriot. The door shut and his
hands settled at my waist. I felt the heat of his body press against my back and I leaned into him.
“Should you get your arm wet?” I asked, thinking about the bandages holding his cut together.
“Probably not. But if you think I’m letting you shower alone, you’re wrong. Couldn’t pass up an opportunity to hold my sexy wife.”
“Wife?” I asked. “Did Wizard message you?”
“No. But if he says he’s going to get it done, he will. You might as well get used to being called MaryAnne Caffee.”
“I like it.” I tipped my head back and looked up at him. “I like everyone knowing I’m yours.”
He traced his fingers down my cheek. “Do these hurt?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I think they’re mostly scratches and will heal in a few days.”
He kissed me, his tongue delving into my mouth, his hold tightening on me. I should have been scared. Terrified. I didn’t have a single flashback. All I felt was pleasure. It was Patriot holding me, kissing me, and that made all the difference. I knew he’d never hurt me.
And I loved him.
“Not taking you in the shower right now,” he murmured against my lips. “You deserve better… a bed and me taking my time.”
“As long as it’s you doing the taking, I don’t care where we are. Well, maybe not somewhere out in public with other people watching, but in this house? It doesn’t matter what room we’re in.”
He slid his palm across my belly and a little lower. His other hand settled at my shoulder and bent me at the waist. I slapped my hands against the glass wall so I wouldn’t topple over.
“Should I take you now? Fast? Hard?” He worked his hand between my thighs and cupped my pussy. He stroked my clit with his thumb, and I couldn’t hold back my whimper. It felt so good. He felt good. “Or maybe I should make you come a few times.”
“Ronan, please.”
He lifted me into his arms and spun so that he faced the opposite wall. He eased me down onto the built-in bench, then shoved my thighs apart, spreading me open.
“Hands above your head, and keep them there,” he said. I lifted them over my head, crossing my wrists. He groaned, his eyes darkening as he stared at me. “Can you thrust those pretty breasts up? Offer those nipples to me.”
My breasts grew heavy and my clit pulsed. I pushed my shoulders back and he dropped to his knees in front of me. Patriot slid his hands up my thighs, then back down. When he moved them up again, he used his thumbs to spread my pussy open. As much as I ached and wanted him to make me come, he just looked.
“So beautiful,” he said. “And mine. All mine.”
“Yes, I’m yours! Only yours.”
His gaze clashed with mine. “That’s right. No one will ever touch you, kiss you. Only my cock will stretch you wide, fill you with cum. You belong to me, and I belong to you.”
“Please! I… I need…”
He leaned forward and took a nipple into his mouth. When he sucked on it, drawing hard on the tip, I cried out and my hips jerked. His thumbs grazed the sides of my clit, right as he gently bit down on my nipple. It was enough to make me come. I screamed out my release, my body bucking and tensing, every nerve ending coming alive. He slid his thumbs up and down, drawing out my climax.
Patriot switched to my other breast, giving the hard tip a nibble. He grazed my clit again and I trembled. “You… you’re going to… I’m going to… to…”
He rubbed his thumb across my clit, pressing down tighter as he circled the little bud. I screamed out his name as I came again. A roaring filled my ears and it felt like the world had tipped sideways. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t hear or see. Everything came back into focus a little at a time.
Patriot pulled my ass to the edge of the bench and bent down. He licked my clit before sucking on it. I felt a fullness and realized he’d slid his fingers inside me. He stroked them in and out while his tongue teased my clit. My arms started to slide down the wall and he growled, his gaze locked on mine.
“Keep your hands there.”
I tried. I really did. When he made me come again, I couldn’t help it. I reached for him, my fingers sliding into his hair. I rocked against his mouth, but he pried himself loose and sat back on his haunches. Something flashed in his eyes and before I knew what was happening, he’d lifted me and taken my place on the bench. I somehow ended up on my knees between his splayed thighs.
“Warned you, Little Bit. Think you can handle paying the price?” He ran his fingers through my hair, his touch gentle despite the hard edge to his words.
“What price?”
He gripped his cock and gave it a stroke. “Want those lips wrapped around me.”
I took a steadying breath and placed my hands on his thighs, then lowered my head and swirled my tongue over the head of his cock. He groaned again and I took more of him into my mouth. I’d barely managed half of his length when I felt his fingers in my hair. He tugged on the strands, then I felt pressure against the back of my head and knew what he wanted.
I gave up control to him, something I’d feared doing. His murmured words of encouragement, and the fact I knew it was Patriot, kept me from going to a dark place. He forced more of his cock into my mouth. On his next thrust, he slid to the back of my throat and held still.
“Swallow,” he said. “Swallow for me, Little Bit.”
I did as he’d commanded, and it seemed to snap his control. He gripped my face between his palms and pumped into my mouth with hard, fast strokes. I felt his cock swell against my tongue and then spurt after spurt of his hot cum filled my mouth. I tried to take it all, but I felt some slide from the corners of my mouth.
Patriot pulled free, his chest heaving but his touch gentle. He smoothed his hand over my hair. “So good. Fuck, Little Bit. You’re Goddamn amazing.”
I wiped his cum from my chin and mouth. The soft expression in his eyes made me want to give him more. I liked pleasing him. It hadn’t been scary, like I’d thought it might be.
“I think I owe you a few more orgasms,” he said, standing and holding out his hand. “But let’s move this to the bed.”
My legs felt like rubber when I stood, and he helped me out of the shower. He briskly dried me with a towel before using it on himself, then it tossed it into the hamper. I followed him into the bedroom, where he tugged down the sheets and motioned for me to get on the bed.
He kissed me, slow and deep before drawing away. “Anyone else ever lick your pussy?”
I slowly shook my head. “No. I… I was a virgin when they took me. No one cared if I enjoyed what they did.”
A shadow crossed his eyes a moment but cleared almost instantly. “I’ll do better about bringing up past sexual experiences. Sometimes I forget for a moment how young you were… I’m sorry, Little Bit.”
He toppled me to my back and pushed my thighs apart. Dropping to his knees beside the bed, he tugged my ass closer to the edge of the mattress. The first swipe of his tongue sent a shockwave of pleasure coursing through me. I’d read books where guys did this sort of thing, but experiencing it firsthand was another matter. His tongue was soft, wet, and hot… and wickedly talented. I moaned as he flicked it against my clit.
“Feels so amazing,” I said.
Patriot took his time, bringing me right to the edge multiple times, yet never letting me come. It was both frustrating and exquisite torture. I loved every second of it and wanted more, but I also wanted an orgasm. Now that I’d experienced what it felt like, more than once, I was greedy and wanted lots more.
“Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop, Ronan.”
He sucked at my clit until I saw stars. My toes curled from the intense pleasure, and I forgot to breathe for a moment. The weight of his body settled over me and I hugged his hips with my thighs.
“Is this okay?” he asked, his cock brushing against me.
“More than. You don’t have to ask permission, Ronan. I want you every bit as much as you want me. I’m yours. As long as you
don’t cause me pain, I’ll try anything you want. We won’t know what will freak me out if we don’t experiment a little.”
“You’re fucking amazing.”
I felt the hard length of him enter me. He didn’t slam home. No, he took his time. Every stroke was drawn out, and so perfect I nearly cried. The push and pull of his cock kept me on the edge of another orgasm. I dug my nails into his shoulders, never wanting the moment to end. I kept my gaze on his, watching as his eyes darkened.
“Make me come, Ronan, then take what you need.”
I felt the vibration of his growl before I heard it. He did something with his hips, a slight twist on the next thrust that had my pussy clenching tight. It didn’t take long before I was coming again. He drove into me, taking me hard and fast, his hips slapping against me.
“Yes! Yes! More!” I held on tighter as he seemed to lose control. When he came, he let out a roar, sounding more animal than human, his cock driving into me again and again, as his hot cum filled me up.
His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath and I reached up to run my fingers over his beard. Patriot turned his face to kiss my palm, and my heart warmed at the gesture. For a tough man, one who’d killed, he could be incredibly sweet.
“I didn’t hurt you?” he asked.
“Not even a little.”
“Let me catch my breath and we’ll try again. Maybe a different position.”
“If you want. Or you could just hold me. I’d be happy either way.”
He kissed my cheek, my jaw, and finally my lips. “Love you, MaryAnne. Never loved a woman until you. And before you bring up my mom, she doesn’t count. She gave birth to me. It’s not the same thing.”
I smiled and ran my fingers through his hair. “Love you so much it hurts, but in a good way.”
He got off me, his cock sliding from my body. I felt his release leak out of me and didn’t know if I should run clean up, or leave it. He took the matter out of my hands when he picked me up and settled me against the pillows. Patriot walked into the bathroom and I heard the sink running. After a moment, he returned with a wet rag. He gently cleaned between my legs, then tossed the rag back into the bathroom before getting into bed with me.