ZACK: Southside Skulls Motorcycle Club (Southside Skulls MC Romance Book 4)

by Jessie Cooke

  18

  “Zack told me not to let you go near that clubhouse.” Hashtag looked like he wished he were anywhere but standing in Nicole’s way. Days had passed; she was trying to get to her car and the big biker was standing between her and the little beater, and he should be nervous. She might not be big or tough or scary…but she was armed with a mother’s love and a willingness to do whatever it took to get her baby back.

  “Zack is not my father. He is not Liam’s father. He has no rights here. I’m going to get my son whether Zack likes it or not. You may as well move and let me have my car. If you don’t, I’ll take a bus, or a train…hell, I will fucking hitchhike. You’re not stopping me.”

  In a voice that Nicole could tell took Hashtag some effort he said, “Look, Zack knows he doesn’t have a right to tell you what to do, Nicole. But he cares about you. I’ve known Zack for a few years now and I’ve never seen him care as much about anyone as he does you…and the baby.” Nicole cursed the warm feeling that gave her. No matter what, she wasn’t going to give in. “He’s on his way back from back East and I guarantee you that he’s breaking every fucking speed law to get here. All he wants you to do is wait, so that you’ll be safe…”

  “You don’t get it, and neither does Zack. Neither of you have had your child stolen from you. Do you even have kids?”

  “Yeah, I do…” Nicole could tell that she’d hit an open wound. She didn’t mean to. Hashtag had been good to her and she liked him, but he wasn’t standing in the way of her getting to Liam, no matter who told him to. “I have a little girl. She’s three and a half now.”

  Nicole forced a smile and said, “Well then, maybe you can at least imagine how I feel.”

  “I can do better than that. My baby lives with her mother, who is the daughter of a city councilman in Tennessee. I was almost laughed out of court when I tried to get shared custody. So, I do know what it feels like to have your child stolen from you, and you can bet that I lie awake at night sometimes and think about going and taking her by force. But I’d have to kill her mother and her grandfather to do that, and what kind of respect do you think she’d have for me after that?”

  “That’s awful, Hash, I’m sorry. But, this isn’t the same situation. Spider is dangerous and he has no idea how to take care of that baby. He doesn’t even want him; he’s just doing this to get back at me for leaving him. What kind of respect will my son have for me when he grows up knowing that I didn’t come for him?”

  Hashtag sighed and said, “You know, it is the same situation, only reversed. No judge in the world is going to give Spider custody of your kid. So, you wait a day until Zack gets back, go in and get him without getting yourself killed, and then file the paperwork.”

  Nicole wished that it was only a matter of filing paperwork, but she knew differently. The police had gone to the Defenders clubhouse the day that Spider took Liam. Nicole had maintained her calm all day while she waited for them to come back with her baby and tell her that Spider was in jail for violating the restraining order. What happened instead was that they gave Spider a “warning” and told her that since there was no custody order in place, and Spider was legally Liam’s father, Nicole would have to take him to court to “compel” him to give the baby back. That had been when she lost it and unbelievably, the police officer had threatened to arrest her if she didn’t calm down and back off. Spider rarely used his real name, or his family connections, but it was obvious to Nicole that he must have that day. There was no other explanation for the police refusing to help her. Spider might be Liam’s father, but he’d taken him by force and all he’d gotten in return was a “warning.” Nicole felt like she was living in a nightmare and couldn’t wake up. She had talked to Zack on the phone that night and she’d let him talk her out of going out to the clubhouse to confront Spider for the time being, but she’d woken up that morning and decided she couldn’t sit around and wait any longer. That was how she’d found out that Zack had called Hashtag and told him to keep her there while he traveled back.

  “Okay,” she said. “Fine, I’ll wait.” She headed back up toward the apartment. Hashtag stood next to her car, like he didn’t trust her, until she was inside with the door closed. Once she was inside, she watched him out the window. He went over to where his bike was parked and slid onto the seat. Zack told her the night before that he wasn’t having them stay out of sight any longer. She estimated the distance between Hashtag’s bike and her car to be about twelve feet. She already knew that she could outrun him, but it was a good bet that he’d make it to the car before she did if he saw her come out of the apartment. Frustrated, she paced the room until she finally had an idea. She went to the refrigerator and took out the leftover Chinese food that she and Stacey had ordered two nights ago. Heaping everything that was left on a large plate, she heated it up and then grabbed a soda from the refrigerator, a fork and a napkin, and went out to take it to Hashtag. Her car keys were in her pocket and she was ready to run. “I brought you lunch,” she said. He looked at it suspiciously for a few seconds, but she knew he had to be hungry. She’d been with him all day and he hadn’t eaten a thing. Finally, he took it out of her hands and said:

  “Thank you, you didn’t have to do that.”

  “And you don’t have to spend your days watching me. So, you’re welcome. Here, I don’t know what kind of soda you like.”

  He smiled and took the bottle she offered him. “This is good, thanks.” She smiled at him, feeling almost guilty that he thought she was being nice when she was actually setting him up.

  “You’re welcome. Enjoy.” She turned and walked back toward the apartment. When she was almost to the door, she glanced over her shoulder. Hashtag’s eyes were on the plate he was holding and she knew it was then, or never. She turned slowly and when she saw that didn’t get his attention, she sprinted for her car. She was surprised that she didn’t hear him drop the plate, or running after her, but she didn’t look back to see what he was doing. Instead, she yanked open the car door, jumped inside, and locked it, before putting the key in the ignition. She looked over at Hashtag then. He saluted her with his soda bottle and before she hit the ignition, she knew the car wasn’t going to start.

  Zack’s phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. He ignored it at first because he’d spoke to Hashtag and his friend had assured him Nicole was safe. He didn’t want to spend the time it would take to stop and answer it. He’d been driving for over twelve hours and he still had six or so to go. He hadn’t slept, he’d barely eaten, and the only time he came to a complete stop was to take a piss, use the phone, or get gas. He slid his left hand into the front of his kutte and pulled out the phone. Cursing when he saw it was Nicole, he found a place where the shoulder of the road was wide enough and pulled off the road. The phone had stopped buzzing, but before he could call her back, she called again.

  “Hey…”

  “Who the fuck do you think you are?”

  “Nicole, baby, calm down…”

  “Don’t fucking tell me to calm down. This is my baby we’re talking about! My child!”

  “I know that, babe, I do. But listen for just a second, okay? What purpose is you running into that clubhouse going to serve? You think they’ll hand Liam over to you and say have a nice day?”

  “It’s not for you to decide what I do!”

  “You’re not thinking clearly right now. You would be putting both you and Liam at risk if you charge in there. I know your heart is broken, but for now he’s safe and so are you.”

  “You don’t know that! You don’t know that he’s safe.”

  “You’re right. I don’t know for sure, but you told me yourself that the police know Liam is at that clubhouse. Spider is a disgusting human being, but I doubt that he’s that stupid. Liam is probably surrounded by club girls and old ladies right now with anything and everything he needs…” He realized what he’d said even before he heard her sob.

  “He needs me. He needs his mother.”

  “I
know, baby. I’m sorry. I will be there in six hours. Can you just be patient for me a little while longer?”

  “I feel like I’m losing my mind.” She sobbed.

  “I know, baby. I’m coming, okay? You won’t have to deal with this alone. I’ll be there…soon.”

  “Hurry,” she said, dissolving into another torrent of tears. She ended the call and left Zack feeling like he had an open, gaping wound in his chest. It took him a few seconds to calm himself down and once he had, he called Stone.

  “Zack, Hashtag told me what’s been going on. Where are you?”

  “On the road. I’m about six hours away. Stone, when I get there I’m going to get that baby.”

  He heard Stone’s heavy sigh. “You’re putting me in such a bad place, Zack.”

  “You know I don’t want to do that. Give me another option and if it’s viable, I’ll take it. If not, I’m going in there to get that baby. You can tell them I went rogue and you had no knowledge of any of it.”

  “Ah…shit! I’ll call you back.”

  “Stone…” He’d already hung up. Zack didn’t want to put his president in a bad place or draw his club into a fucking war with their so-called allies. He had always put his club first. It was how he was raised, and right or wrong it was ingrained in him. But every time he pictured Liam’s little face, or Nicole’s after Spider had hit her…they overrode everything. He didn’t understand it and he didn’t particularly like it. But he knew if he fought it and Liam or Nicole ended up hurt, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. He started the bike, put the phone away, and got back on the road, determined to cut the six hours into five…or even less if he could.

  19

  Zack almost slid off the bike while it was still running when he got to Nicole’s apartment. The sun had just gone down and the apartment parking lot was dim. He didn’t even see Hashtag standing by the door until he was a few feet away. “Shit! You scared the hell out of me.”

  Hash chuckled. “Sorry. You can take a breath before you go in there. The baby is home.”

  “What? How did that happen?” Zack was relieved, but confused. The fact that he hadn’t slept in nearly thirty hours wasn’t helping things.

  Hash shook his head and said, “I’m as confused about that as you are, and Nicole too. Spider showed up here about an hour ago with the baby. The kid looked fine and of course Nicole was over the moon to get him back. Spider was accompanied by the club’s sergeant at arms and three other guys. They kept me out here while he went in.” That was when Zack really looked at his friend. Hashtag had a black eye and his lip was split in the corner. Zack almost smiled. He knew Hashtag was the best man to leave to watch Nicole, and he’d be willing to bet that even though Hash had been outnumbered at least five to one, the other guys looked worse than he did.

  “Thank you, Hash. I’m sorry for all the shit.”

  Hash shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. Provide me with a hotel room and two busty hookers…and an open bar…and we’ll call it even.” Zack laughed.

  “You got it.”

  “Come to think of it…Nicole’s friend just left a few minutes ago for work. Damn, she’s hot. You have any problems with me hitting that?”

  Zack raised an eyebrow. “You just plan on hitting it and moving on?”

  Hashtag chuckled. “Fuck, yeah. We haven’t all found the love of our life.”

  “Shut the fuck up. And no. If you’re gonna bang her and never see her again, that’ll make me look bad to Nicole.”

  “Damn, I never thought I’d see the day.”

  “Get out of here. Find a sweet piece at the club for now – I’ll hook you up with that hotel room soon.”

  Hash turned to walk toward his bike, muttering something about Zack being “pussy whipped.” In the past, Zack would have denied it until he was blue in the face, but the fact was that as much as he hated that term being directed toward Nicole, Hash was more right than he wanted to admit.

  Zack waited until Hash was on his bike before knocking on Nicole’s door. He was happy as hell that Liam was home, but there was a part of him that was ashamed he wasn’t the one that made that happen. He wouldn’t blame her if she was still pissed at him for not being there and letting Spider get his hands on Liam in the first place. He took in a deep breath, let it out slowly, and raised his hand to knock. He tapped quietly, in case the baby was asleep, but Nicole’s voice floated through the door right away:

  “Hash?”

  “No, baby, it’s Zack.” There was no hesitation. He heard the locks being disengaged and as soon as the door was pulled open, she was in his arms.

  “He’s home!”

  Zack smiled. He loved seeing her so happy. He stepped into the apartment with her in his arms and then held her back so that he could see her face. “I heard. I’m so happy. He’s okay, I’m assuming?”

  “He’s perfect,” she said, wiping a tear out of her eye. “I’m sorry. My emotions are just all over the place.”

  “It’s okay, baby. I’m so glad you have your boy back.” She hugged him again and said:

  “Thank you, Zack!”

  Still confused, Zack muttered a “Welcome,” and then took her hand and led her over to the couch. Once they both sat down he said, “What happened? Why did Spider bring him back?”

  “Because of you,” she said. “Spider said that I had you to thank.”

  It had to have something to do with whomever Stone talked to and whatever he said, but Zack knew he had nothing more to do with that than the phone call he’d made earlier. He felt guilty again but before he could protest, Nicole had wiggled up into his lap and covered his mouth with hers. The feel of her warm, pliable body in his hands and her soft, full lips on his caused all the blood in his head to race down south and at that second, there was only one thing on his mind…everything else could wait. He snaked his tongue into her mouth and tasted her. He loved the way she tasted, and the way she smelled, and how she felt underneath his palms and in his arms. He let his hands roam across her body while they kissed. The kiss was slow and sweet at first, their tongues dancing in a slow, sexy rhythm. But, his senses were quickly overwhelmed as his hands ran over her body and he was touching and tasting and smelling her subtle, sexy perfume, all at once. Zack let his hands run up her back and he took her head in both hands, holding her where he wanted her to be, while he kissed the breath out of her. She was squirming in his lap and his cock was already as hard as a rock. He couldn’t think of anything but how badly he wanted to fuck her.

  It was Nicole that pulled out of the kiss first, sucking in a big breath of air when she did, but then smiling brightly at him and standing up and taking his hand. She led him down the hall, into the room across from hers and Liam’s.

  “Isn’t Stacey staying here?”

  “Yeah, but she won’t be home until three or four a.m. I’ll change the sheets, I promise.”

  Zack laughed and said, “Honestly, I don’t know why I asked. I don’t care.”

  She smiled and kissed him again. While they kissed that time, it was Nicole’s hands that roamed over Zack’s body. She started with his back and then slid her hands down to his ass, and she rubbed and massaged it through his jeans. Then, she slid her hands around to the front of his jeans, right where he wanted them. She rubbed him through them first, using her thumb and two fingers to map out where his hard cock lay, pressing against the prison it so desperately wanted out of. Zack was so hard that it hurt before he finally felt her undo his button and then his zipper, and when she reached through and into his shorts and grabbed him, he felt a sense of relief so deeply that he was afraid he’d do something he hadn’t done since he was fourteen…come in her hand, right then and there. She started stroking him, slowly. Zack groaned into her mouth as she gave him one last, long, deep kiss. This time when she pulled back, she slid down his body until she was on her knees and she had his jeans pulled down to his. She smiled up at him and Zack thought he might have never seen anything as sexy as watching h
er suck his thick, throbbing hard cock into her mouth.

  “Oh fuck…baby…oh my God…”

  Nicole sucked his cock all the way to the back of her throat and then she let it out slowly and licked around the head before sucking it back in. The room was a little cold and her mouth was hot, so the contrast as she began to bob up and down made his head want to explode…both of them. She brought up one of her hands and wrapped it around his shaft and while she stroked and sucked him at the same time, she used her thumb to gently graze his balls. He wanted to feel what he was feeling forever, but he knew that if he didn’t stop her he was going to come in her mouth. Most of the whores and club girls that Zack was used to wouldn’t mind that, but he wasn’t so sure about Nicole.

  “Baby,” he said, in a breathless, raspy, voice. “You should stop…”

  She smiled around his cock and looked up at him. Jesus, she looked so fucking sexy. She held onto his cock and let it slide out of her mouth, slowly licking the tip as it did. “You want me to stop?”

  “Fuck no…but you should.”

  She smiled and almost took him in her mouth again. He stopped her, pulling her back up to her feet. It was hot that she was willing to do that for him, but Zack wanted to touch her, to feel her. He kissed her as he slipped her shirt off over her head and then used one hand to unhook her bra. She stepped back and let her bra fall to the floor before she unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans and pulled them off, taking her panties down with her as she did. Meanwhile, Zack stripped his clothes off as well. Once they were both nude, they stood facing each other and he held out his hand and let his fingers trace along the top of her breast, around the outside of it and around her areolas, causing her nipples to stiffen and pucker. She shivered as he let them go and from there, ran his fingers down the smooth skin of her stomach until he reached the top of her soft mound. When he started tracing his fingers across that, she moaned and reached for his cock. Zack’s fingers slid down over her soaking-wet lips while she stroked him, and then up inside her hot, wet tunnel. He loved the feel of her wrapped around him in any way. He loved being inside of her. She whimpered as he moved two fingers in and out of her, and she stroked him to the same rhythm. Zack took a step forward and pulled his fingers out of her as he nudged her back on the bed. Then, he lay down next to her and for a long time, they lay there face to face, kissing, touching, and just exploring each other’s bodies. At one point, Nicole slid her soft hand between his legs and cupped his balls. Zack groaned as she played with them, massaged them, and even gently tugged and pulled at them before flattening her palm and sliding it all the way from the bottom of his shaft to the tip. That was as much as he could stand. He had to be inside of her; he was aching for it. He rolled her onto her back and climbed on top of her. Nicole spread her beautiful thighs open for him and he easily slid into her wet pussy. They both groaned as his cock filled her completely up and then he began to move. He started out slowly, using one hand to slip under her back and hold her up so that her breasts were crushed into his chest. He rocked them both together and while Nicole whimpered, Zack moaned. He moved his mouth around to her ear and sucked the lobe of it into his mouth while he picked up his pace. For some reason that was when it dawned on him that he wasn’t wearing a condom. He pressed his lips into her ear and said: