by Erin Osborne
“Jennifer, so when you gonna fuck those two?” Samantha asks me. She’s the most outspoken one of us all.
“Well, um, I don’t know,” I say truthfully.
“I can tell you that if I had their attention, I wouldn’t be fucking wasting a second of it. Especially with those bitches sniffing around them all the time like they do. Those bitches are gonna be the death of me if I have to watch them climb all over Playboy every second he’s at the clubhouse,” she says, watching her son Caleb follow Wade and Natalia around the yard.
“I don’t like them either,” Gwen says, piping up for one of the first times today.
“I don’t think any of us like them,” Sally says, sitting down next to me. “I’ve been where they are, with the Wild Kings. Though, I can say I never, ever went after one of the men that were taken. Even if they hadn’t claimed their ol’ lady yet. There’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed, and these bitches here don’t know what that is.”
We all nod our heads in agreement. I turn and watch as Wood gets the grill going while Boy Scout is inside getting the steaks and other meat prepped. If they want to cook tonight, I’ll let them. It gives me time to hang out with the girls, and let the kids get some much-needed air and play time outside. So, we all sit and gossip while I keep stealing glances at Wood and Boy Scout when he brings out the platter of meat and a few beers for them. These men are slowly digging their way under my skin.
Chapter Seven
Boy Scout
IT’S BEEN NICE as hell watching J open up more and more each day that passes. Before the lockdown happened, I didn’t think she’d ever be ready to spend the day with the girls that came here for whatever reason. She’s still quiet, much like Gwen, but she’s opening up and talking to them.
Of course, she’s not talking about her past and I don’t know if she’ll ever be ready to talk about that. We only know a small bit of it, and that’s enough to turn my stomach. It’s not enough to make me not want her, but the hell she went through alone is sad. She’s a fighter and stronger than she realizes. That’s why Wood calls her Spitfire.
As I walk outside, she turns in her chair, keeping an eye on Wade and looking over toward where Wood is by the grill. She flashes a small smile as I hand over the platter of food. I return it before turning my attention to Wood as he catches the slight interaction. He’s doing his best to act like he doesn’t know she’s watching us while they sit a few feet away and talk.
“You think she’s comin’ around to the idea of us?” I ask.
“She is. Right now, I’d say she’s fightin’ what she wants, but she knows we’re the ones for her. It doesn’t help that she still wants to hold everythin’ in, and not let us help carry that burden for her,” he says.
“I know. It’s not fair that I want her to open up to us and I won’t open up to either one of you,” I say, taking a long pull from my beer as Wade toddles over to us.
Picking him up, the grill has his complete attention. Yeah, we’re not gonna get too close to that with the way he’s staring at the fire in the bottom. Turning around, I start pointing out little things in the yard until he stops trying to look over my shoulder. Especially once the sizzling starts when Wood puts the meat on. The entire time, I can feel J’s eyes on me as she takes in the scene before her.
“Anyone home?” someone calls out from the side of the building.
“Back here,” I say, knowing that it’s Killer and Playboy. Figured they’d be stopping over sooner than later.
“Stryker and Fox are on their way over too. Got enough for us?” Playboy says, zeroing in on where Samantha is sitting.
“Yep. Figured you fuckers would be here before we ate,” Wood says, taking another pull from his beer.
“They all doin’ good?” Killer asks, never once taking his eyes from Gwen and the way she’s holding herself back from the group.
“Yep. She’s been talkin’ a little bit. Still quiet as hell, but J has been makin’ sure she’s a part of the conversation,” I say, setting Wade down so he can go play with his friends.
Playboy walks over to Samantha and says something to her. Her face blushes a deep scarlet before she stands up. He takes over her seat before she sits back down in his lap. Killer soon makes his way over to the group of girls and sits down in front of Gwen on the ground.
She’s looking down at him with a confused look in her eyes. She wants him but doesn’t know how to tell him. Killer confuses her because he likes to stay to himself and can be a scary fucker when he needs to be. Gwen has seen it firsthand but didn’t let it push her away from him. She’ll get to where he needs her to be before he takes her. He’s biding his time for now; much like Wood and me.
“Go sit with her. Push her boundaries a little bit,” Wood says, looking up from the grill in front of him, his face a light shade of red while a sheen of sweat covers him. “Go. I’ll get my chance later on.”
Making my way over to the group, I watch as J waits to see what I’m gonna do. Yeah, I’m not sitting on the ground in front of her. “Stand up, babe?” I ask, waiting to see how she’ll play it.
Wordlessly, she stands up and waits for me to take her empty seat. As I get comfortable, I see her looking at the chair that’s sitting empty between Kim and Sally. Knowing where her head is, I tag her around the waist and pull her down into my lap. J lands with an oomph as she turns her face toward mine. We’re so close it wouldn’t take much to kiss her right now. I won’t push her that much though.
“Just relax,” I murmur so only she can hear me.
After a minute, she leans into my body and makes herself comfortable. With the way she’s moving around in my lap, my cock starts to rise. I’m not gonna hide what she does to me, though. She’s gonna start getting used to it now and realize what she actually does to someone that wants her for her, and wants more than a quick fuck.
A soft gasp escape her plump lips, and I know she feels me under her ass. J turns her head toward me again and her cheeks are stained pink. Instead of making her look childish as hell, she looks sexy. This is her choice to stay with me and settle in while there are other people around. It means that she’s more than a little comfortable with us.
Tonight will be the challenge though because we’re staying the night with her. We’ve never slept in her apartment but tonight that changes. It’s a matter of time before she’s in the house we bought, and we’re getting her ready for that.
We all sit around and talk while dinner is cooked. Fox and Stryker show up and join the circle after stopping to talk to Wood for a few minutes. I can feel J starting to get a twitch in her, and I tap her thigh to get her attention. Once she’s looking at me, I make sure I have her full attention.
“I’m sure Wood could use a cold beer,” I tell her, giving her a chance to go over and see him without making a big deal out of it. That’s what she wants to do; she just doesn’t know how to tell me that.
“Okay,” she says, looking a little relieved before she pushes up out of the chair.
I watch her walk in the house and wait to see how long it’s going to take her to come back outside. If it’s too long, one of us will have to go in and get her. She surprises me though and walks back out with more than one beer.
J walks over to Wood, and I watch as she hands him a beer before tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. There’s a bit of color to her face and, I know this is out of the norm for her. I’m proud she’s taking this step though. It shows that eventually, she’ll be ready for more to happen between us.
“Where’re things at with her?” Playboy asks once Samantha has vacated his lap.
“It’s gettin’ there. We’re givin’ her the time she needs, but makin’ sure she knows we’re here for her,” I tell him, watching as Wood begins to pull the food off the grill and J brings the rest of the beer over to us. I’ve never seen her drink. Not even a sip of a beer or anything.
“Good. Everyone here can see there’s a fire burnin’ in her that’s just waitin�
� to come out. She’ll make a good ol’ lady,” he says as Wood calls out to the kids to come get their plates.
I guess it’s a good thing we picked up some pre-made salads and stuff from the store before we came over earlier. We knew the guys were gonna come over here tonight, so we made sure to grab food, beer, and a few things for snacks later on.
We might end up starting a small fire so the kids can try a s’more. We’ll see how the night plays out though. Wade’s already getting tired, and I know it’s just a matter of time before he gets cranky and doesn’t want to do anything or be around anyone else.
Once we’ve all made a plate and Wood has joined our little circle, I watch as J takes a seat on the ground so she can help Wade eat while eating her food at the same time. I want to give her my chair and take her place, but Wood slightly shakes his head ‘no’ when he sees my intentions. He wants us to be there for her, but not make her feel like we’re trying to take over her life. That will just end up pushing her away in the long run, and it’s not what our goal is.
“So, Jennifer, did you tell them what we did today?” Kim asks, trying to look innocent while shoving a bite of food in her mouth.
“No. Um, I’ll tell them later on,” she says around a mouthful of food.
“What’s goin’ on?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Can we please talk later?” she asks, looking up at me while a blush tints her neck and cheeks.
“Yeah, Spitfire, we can talk about it after Wade goes to bed,” Wood says, looking at Kim who should know better than to try to get J to talk about herself in a group of people she’s still trying to get to know.
There’s a lull in the conversation while we all eat dinner. The most noise coming out of the group right now is that of the kids while they eat and try to reach for other food that they don’t have. Especially Wade and Natalia. They want what the rest of us have, but I know J is strict about what he has and what he can’t have. I’m guessing it’s something to do with her past, but we can’t say for sure right now. We really need to get her to open up so we know what we’re dealing with.
Chapter Eight
Wood
THE NIGHT WENT good as far as Jennifer being around the guys more. She talked a little bit once she got used to them being here, and even joked around with Fox a little bit. I’m guessing she thinks he’s the least dangerous one out of all of us. Little does she know when it’s required of him, he’s one of the deadliest men of the Phantom Bastards, and he can be intimidating as hell when the women aren’t around us. It’s not a side he shows if he doesn’t have to.
We’ve just put Wade down to bed, and he passes out as soon as his little head hits the pillow. I’m walking around the apartment to make sure it’s all locked up and the alarm is set after sending Alex home for the night. We’re here so Jennifer won’t need a guard outside.
I’m walking in her room to Boy Scout and her already in bed with the side closest to the bedroom door left for me. She already knows I need that side of the bed. I want to be prepared for anything that may happen in the middle of the night.
“So, what was Kim talkin’ about earlier?” I ask as I begin to undress. Boy Scout and I leave our boxers on for now, but we take in every glance and longing look as Jennifer watches us undress every time we share a bed with her.
I’d say it’s fair considering she wears nothing more than a small as fuck tank top and a pair of panties to bed. She doesn’t like to feel as though she’s getting tangled up in clothes but says she hasn’t slept naked since the day she left her house at fifteen years old.
“Well, I talked to a lady about starting to go for my GED so that I can go to college. My first appointment is in the morning,” she says, that blush creeping up her neck to her face once again. Jennifer really gets embarrassed talking about personal things.
“That’s great!” Boy Scout says, leaning over to place a kiss on her cheek to show his happiness.
“I agree. So proud of you, baby,” I tell her, leaning over and placing a kiss on her neck. It’s just a quick peck, but I can feel the way her body reacts to it. A shiver runs through her and she burrows under the blankets further.
“Thank you,” she practically whispers in response.
We wrap our arms around her after I roll over to turn the light off. Our legs tangle together under the blankets and I know this is a big step for her. Especially with her feeling like she’s being tangled up or something like that. I guess it’s different when it’s not by her clothing.
I finally let sleep claim me after I know she’s sound asleep and Boy Scout is almost asleep. I’ll do anything to protect them and if that means I don’t sleep until they do, that’s fine by me.
Waking up the next morning, I look to the side and see that Boy Scout and I are the only ones left in bed. I’d say it was awkward, but it’s not the first time we’ve woken up like this. So, I let him sleep and get out of the bed to go in search of Jennifer and Wade. I follow the smell of coffee. Jennifer hasn’t changed yet while she gets Wade’s breakfast ready.
“Mornin’,” I mumble, as I lean against the counter and watch the two interact.
“Morning,” she says, breaking up the toast she made for him along with the scrambled eggs. He only gets a half piece of toast and whatever one of us is with him makes sure he’s careful when eating it.
“You sleep okay?” I ask, wanting to know if she’s comfortable being with us here.
“Yeah. Best sleep I’ve had in a while,” she answers, letting me know more than she wants to.
We chase her demons away. Jennifer doesn’t dream when she’s in bed between Boy Scout and me. It’s the same for Boy Scout. I’m not sure what all of his demons are, but I know we’ll figure it out. He’s going to have to open up if he wants Jennifer to start opening up with us.
“What are your plans today?” I ask, trying to let her know that I care and want to know about her. “Wait, never mind. You have that appointment comin’ up in a little bit for your GED.”
“Yeah. Kim should be here soon to watch Wade while I’m gone,” she answers, looking at me. I only threw a pair of jogging pants on before walking out here.
Jennifer looks at me with lust in her eyes and a confused look on her face. I watch as she shakes her head to clear her thoughts before giving me a small smile. Moving over to the table with my cup of coffee, I place a kiss on the top of her head before taking the seat next to her. It’s not long before we hear Boy Scout making his way out to the kitchen so he can get his much-needed caffeine fix before we head out for the day.
“Want to take you somewhere tonight,” I tell Jennifer once Boy Scout is sitting with us.
“Where?” she asks, standing up with Wade’s empty plate.
“To our house. I think it’s time you see it and tell us what you think. If there are any changes you want made, you should tell us now,” I answer like it’s not a big deal at all.
“Why would I want to make changes to your house?” she asks confusion written clearly on her face as she scrunches her nose up a little bit.
“You’ll be livin’ there with us soon enough. If there’s anythin’ you don’t like or think is unsafe for Wade, we need to know. The house is for all of us, J,” Boy Scout says, reaching out to tickle Wade in the high chair.
“Oh, um. I thought this was going to be our house,” she says, getting her own cup of coffee before sitting down with us.
“No. This is just for now until you’re comfortable with us. You know what we want and we’re not gonna be livin’ here when we have a house with a big yard so that Wade can play and run around. Might even get a dog,” I tell her, standing up to go get dressed before headin’ out to work.
“Okay. Well, I need to jump in the shower so I can get ready for my appointment,” she says.
I’m just pulling my pants up when Jennifer walks in the room. She stops and watches me get dressed before snapping out of her head and grabbing up her clothes. It’s on the tip of m
y tongue to tell her that she doesn’t need to dress in the bathroom, but she’ll figure it out. Once she’s in our house, there’s an en suite so she can do what she wants. Or we’ll distract her to the point she forgets to take clothes in with her.
“Gotta run, Spitfire. I’ll see you later on today,” I tell her, brushing a soft kiss against her lips before heading out the door.
Boy Scout is sitting in the living room watching Wade play with his toys. There’s a cartoon on the TV. I don’t think either one of them are watching it, it’s just on for background noise. He lets me know he’ll be heading out as soon as Kim gets there, and I nod my head as I make my way out to my bike. Today is going to be long and hard with trying to figure everything out, but we’ll get through it like we always do. Together.
Chapter Nine
Jennifer
WALKING INTO THE learning center where my appointment with Mrs. Swimely is, I wipe my damp hands on my jeans. This appointment is going to determine what happens in my future so I’m nervous as hell about it.
An older lady is sitting at a table in the front of the room. She reminds me of what a grandmother would look like. Especially when she looks up at me and a smile brightens her face. Her eyes crinkle as she continues to smile and my nerves start to settle.
“Jennifer?” she asks.
“Yes. It’s so nice to meet you,” I say.
“You too. Now, I’m gonna sit you down over here and let you work through this practice test. Take all the time you need and we’ll figure everything else out once I have it back and go over it,” she says.
I nod in response and take a seat at the table she motioned to. Once I’m settled, she puts a packet in front of me, some scrap paper, and a few pencils. Opening the packet, I dig in and block everything else from my mind as I work through the questions.