Nothing Lasts Forever (Battle Born MC Book 2)

by Scarlett Black

  I pull my finger away from him. “I’m never taking drugs again,” I growl the words out, “Never, you hear me?”

  Axl stalks closer and closer, crowding me, until my legs hit the back of the bed and I fall back on my elbows. The shirt is raising up over my stomach. Axl growls and hovers over my body with his.

  “I did what had to be done, so quit bitchin’ over it. You know you love it. This body and pussy belong to me.” Axl shoves the shirt up over my tits before his teeth claim each one, scraping and pulling on the sensitive flesh.

  “This belongs to me,” he says again as he’s shoving his fingers into my pussy and his thumb starts rubbing my clit.

  “Give me your dick,” I plead with him.

  Axl shoves his pants down around his thighs, and, without any care, shoves his dick into me. My back arches from the bed as he mercifully fucks me into the mattress. He grabs my hair and pulls it back, exposing more of my neck. He bites and sucks and fucks. I feel so close as pressure starts building deep inside when Axl roars out his release into me.

  Releasing his hold on me, his body collapses over mine. His hands are resting on each side of me. He whispers into my ear, “Every time you talk to me like that, Dana, my princess doesn’t get to come.” Axl pushes his ripped body up and tucks himself back into his jeans.

  I sit up annoyed with the current situation, and feeling mind fucked. Yep, that’s an accurate description of what I’m feeling. Mind. Fucked.

  Axl steps in front of me and grabs the shirt at the hem, ripping it from my body and over my head. Bunching the shirt in his hands, he brings the shirt up to his nose and takes a deep inhale.

  “Fucking perfect, smells like your pussy.” He opens the shirt and puts his arms inside and over his shoulders, covering his perfect body.

  “Well, at least we fucked in a bed this time, and I will actually remember it,” I deadpan.

  Axl throws his head back and the deep laugh vibrates through his chest. “Aye, princess,” is all he says, gathering his wallet and walking over to me to kiss my lips. “Love you, stay out of trouble till I get home.”

  “Love you too, Axl.”

  Finding another shirt and sweats, I go looking for my baby. Opening the patio door, I find my black, fury, little labradoodle come barreling for my legs. “Charlie! Come here, baby.”

  I scoop him up in my arms and give him kisses as he gives me one of his signature hugs with each paw on my shoulders. “You’re getting too big, little man,” I tell him and we walk back into the house. Rubbing his head, I sit him down on the bathroom floor to stay there while I shower.

  I remove my clothes and jump into the stall, enjoying the hot water while trying to keep the water off my back. My tattoo! I’m so excited to be his Ol’Lady. My muscles loosen, and I close my eyes, taking in deep breaths to calm down. I’m lost in thought when the shower door flies open and I shriek as I’m trying to cover my tits and girl parts with an arm and a hand. Axl laughs at my girlie scream. “What the hell are you doing here now?”

  “Brought you breakfast, cranky princess.” He grabs my arm from around my tits and pulls me to him. He gives me a long, sweet kiss before he playfully smacks my ass. “Later! Answer your phone when I call, love you,” and he’s gone in a flash.

  I rub my ass and mumble to myself, “Is this what I have to look forward to?”

  “Yes, yes, it is.”

  Grabbing my throat, I jump back and slip in the shower, barely steadying myself on the wall and the door. “How are you still here! Quit sneaking in here, it’s creepy!”

  “Sorry, forgot my phone, I’m gone, bye.”

  I sit and wait. Uncomfortable with the silence, I crack open the shower door only to find Axl’s face peeking at me from around the corner of the shower stall, staring at me. “Hey!” Charlie jumps up and down wanting to play and barks at Axl.

  “For fuck’s sakes! Slam the door shut and get out! You ruined my morning, now go!” Charlie barks even more excited at my anger.

  Laughing, Axl watches me watch him leave. I carefully sprint across the floor to lock the door. The lock won’t turn, and I put my weight into it. Axl’s muffled menacing laughter comes from the other side. I go to grab the handle and I can’t turn the knob.

  “What is wrong with you, Axl! GOD!” My fists hit the door. Completely annoyed with his antics, I yell, “Fine, don’t leave! Whatever, asshole.”

  I turn back toward the shower, determined to finish washing what I can when two strong hands circle my body. “I swear to God, Axl, I’m about to shoot you myself, and with your own gun too. Do. Not. Fuck. With. Me.”

  “I’m sorry, princess, I couldn’t help myself, and I couldn’t leave you here alone. Forgive me?” He asks while licking the water that’s running down my neck.

  “Yes, but I need you to leave now because I’m freezing my fucking ass off.”

  Axl turns me to face him. Kissing my lips softly, he says, “Be safe, okay? Call me if anything comes up, anything.”

  “I will, promise.”

  “Okay, love you, princess.”

  “Love you too, but I don’t like you right now.”

  Smiling, he responds with one last kiss. He backs up while looking at my face and I see a shadow of doubt masking his face. He locks the door, and, suddenly, I want to cry. I wish I knew what’s caused it, but maybe it’s best that I don’t. Walking back into the shower, I start shampooing my hair. The water goes from warm to cold. It is official. Today sucks.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Showered and dressed in a hoody and jeans, I sit on the couch with my feet under me, scrolling through my phone and reading the news when a text message pops up from Axl. I open the message, but he only sent a screen shot. Tapping the picture, I open it larger to read the words.

  I, Dana Maraschino, of sound mind and sound body, do hereby enter into this agreement to give Vegas, aka Alessia DeRosa-Johnson, full legal authority and custody of my body to help me procure by any special means necessary for placement of a tattoo. Dated this day and shall be noted and effective hereinafter.

  No way! Vegas did it! Throwing my head onto the back of the couch, I laugh out loud that Vegas pulled it off. And I’m so happy that she did.

  Charlie starts whining in my lap while looking at the door when I hear a knock. Setting him aside, I walk over to the peephole to see who it could be.

  Excitement floods my system at seeing Mom and Papa at the door. Swinging the door open, I throw myself at my parents.

  “What are you guys doing here?”

  Papa holds me close to his chest. “I wanted to spend some time with you. Fuego went with the brothers down south, and someone needed to stay here, so I volunteered. What are you doing today, mi corazon?”

  I step back through the door and my parents follow as we walk together into the kitchen. Grabbing a few mugs from the cupboard, I fill them with coffee and say, “Just work.”

  “What is it, mija, what’s got your heart sad?” Papa asks, taking a seat with Mom on the kitchen bar stools.

  “Axl ruined my shower…” Papa holds his hand up to halt my words and I snap my mouth shut. “Do not mention that cabron and a shower in the same sentence to me. Besides, I can tell that’s not it. What is wrong, mija, in here?” Papa points to his chest.

  Taking in a deep breath, I try, I try really hard to be strong for him, but I can’t. “It’s been a rollercoaster lately. Vegas went through losing her baby. Then I let Axl get close and his dad died.” I hiccup my words out as tears spring into my eyes. “Then he comes back and things got back to okay. Then Jenn has been popping pills and ignoring me and Vegas. Then James quit our bar to go prospect for the MC. Then Axl left me today after he gave me his brand last night. And I didn’t have a hot shower.” I finish in a long, whiny breath as I’m wiping at my eyes. I can’t look into his face, I don’t want him to see me cry.

  “Mija, look at me.”

  I shake my head no.

  Walking around the counter, he takes me into his
chest and wraps his strong arms around me. “You know, I never did give you enough of these when you were a little girl. I didn’t protect the most valuable thing on this earth. You, mija. I failed at protecting the heart of you. Of all the things in my life that I’ve done, that’s the only thing I’ve failed at. I’m sorry, mi corazon. Tell me, tell me how it made you feel. Let me carry your sadness, baby. Tell tu papa.”

  Shaking my head no again, I manage to mutter, “It’s okay, Papa, I know you’re sorry. It’s okay.”

  “Mija, no, it is not. I need you to say the words, for you to tell me, mija.”

  “Why?” I step back to look at his face.

  “Everything you just said, those are hard things or normal stress of life and relationships. All of them have one thing in common. They all left, mija, or they died. You can’t trust others because of it. So, tell me, mija, let me have your fears and heartache.”

  Mom sits there, quietly listening, not wanting to come between us. I look over at her and she nods to me in encouragement. I look back at the floor and take a deep breath. I close my eyes, inhaling and then exhaling all the hurt, before I can allow the words that have been trapped for so long to finally come to the surface. They’ve been locked away in a safe place that no one can touch. My eyes find my Papa’s and I let go. I let go of the past and pain. I let him have the words and all of the rest.

  “I loved you and Momma so much. I would go to school and try so hard to be the best student so when you would come see me, I would have all good things to tell you. But whenever you would come, you and Momma would just fight and you wouldn’t even talk to me. I would sit and wait for hours for you to see me, but you never did. Then, as I got a little older, she got worse, she did more drugs except for when she knew that you were coming. She would clean up for you, not for me. You only came for her. You didn’t come to see me. The worst part of it all, I wanted to hate you so badly, but I never could, because I loved you too much.”

  Papa swallows and I see his Adam’s apple moving with the movement like he swallowed razor blades. “Keep going, mi corazon, give me your ghost, give me your pain.”

  Nodding at him, I sniff back my tears and continue. “I took myself to school. Learned how to live with no one by my side because the people I loved the most couldn’t even see me. I walked this earth alone. My mother chose to kill herself with drugs over being here for me. Other than Vegas and Jenn, no one cared about me. When Vegas loses something, I feel the loss too. When Jenn is lost, I’m lost too, because they are my family, my blood, my sisters that have stood by me and have never left my side.”

  I stand tall. I stand up for the little broken girl inside of my heart who I protected all these years. That little girl will always be a piece of me.

  “Si, mija. They are your familia, they are your blood sisters. You are right, mija, I was a shit father and I did those things to your heart. But, hear me, baby girl. Your tears and sadness are not weakness. You are still standing with a beautiful beating heart. I may have all the strength in this body. But it is nothing to your beautiful heart, mija. Nothing compared to you. Mi corazon.” Papa’s eyes mist over. His show of emotion paralyzes my thoughts and movements.

  “Mija, I think you are ready to hear a story. What I mean is, your mind and heart are ready to hear it. Come sit with me on the couch.”

  Papa turns and heads toward the living room. Mom and I follow him. She sits on the loveseat and Papa and I sit opposite from each other on the couch.

  “You know that I was away at war when your mother was pregnant with you. As a young man, I came home to my woman at the time who had my baby while I was gone. Shit got ugly. We were high school sweethearts, but time away changed us and we didn’t know each other anymore. I was a Marine and she was still the girl I left behind. I thought I left my baby to save her from the killer I had become. I was ashamed of the things I had done with these hands, and touching something as beautiful as you felt wrong.”

  Papa hangs his head in shame. “It was never you. I was wrong and really fucked up in my head.” Papa’s eyes close only to snap open as a soulless man. “I can wrap my hands around a neck and feel nothing from it. I learned there was still love in me from a little girl who pumped life back into me with her pure heart. You never gave up loving an undeserving man, you brought me back, mija. Katie helped me see it. I’m sorry, baby girl. I’m sorry your parents weren’t parents at all. You keep fighting this life, bad shit is going to happen. You remember that your papa and all your family will stand by you. But you are strong enough to stand on your own.”

  Battle born.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  The phone rings and rings, then eventually goes to voicemail. Disappointment fills my mind since I haven’t been able to get a hold of Jenn. We’ve texted her and called in the past few days, and still no answer. I’ll keep trying until she has no other choice but to answer me.

  Me: So, today sucked, I got drugged by our friends and then tattooed last night. I guess I’m an Ol’ Lady now. Not the Ol’ Lady part, that doesn’t suck. The part where I woke up with a headache and then ran out of hot water because the man you live with is a child. That part sucks.

  Vegas and Kat barge through the office door at The Black Rose.

  “Show me your tatt,” they both demand at the same time. Placing my phone on the desk, I turn in the chair and pick up my shirt at the hem to lift it up my back to show them.

  “Damn, girl, that tatt is beautiful and very pretty, very you,” Vegas awes over it.

  “He did good, girl, really good,” Kat agrees. “He put himself and you in it.”

  “I agree, I love it. Although, I can’t remember some things and it surprises me I did it. I only had a few drinks and we all know that that’s not enough to get me in the chair. So strange,” I feign confusion, tapping my chin.

  Vegas’ eyes beam with pride. “I date raped you.” Excitement pours from her.

  “Is that normal to be proud you date raped your friend?”

  “I think so. Axl asked me for help, then I asked Kat to give you X,” she shrugs. “You’re welcome too, that tatt is tight and you’re too much of a sissy to get it on your own, and now you’re a claimed woman.” Vegas claps her hands together. “The way I see it, you owe me too.”

  “Oh, I see, you drug your friends and get them tattooed and then they owe you, Vegas?”

  “Yes?” She smiles at her own logic.

  “No, you’re not taking credit on this one. The way I see it, you owe me, and I will collect a favor.”

  My words trail off as Gabe, my little brother, comes walking through the door. He’s a handsome little devil. He could be my father’s twin, but with a slightly lighter coloring from our mom, Katie.

  “Gabe! What are you doing here? I didn’t know you could come!”

  Even though Gabe is only nineteen, he’s built and very tall. He picks me up as he spins me around before setting me on my feet again. “I’m on leave before I’m put on duty. I’m staying with you for a few weeks. Mom and Pops are staying here too before I leave, so we can all stay together. I don’t know when I’ll be home again.”

  My throat constricts, and, all of a sudden, it’s hard to breathe through the idea of not seeing him again. “You will do great in the Marines, I know it. And you’ll come home soon. And you’ll write often, right?”

  “You know I will write you. Pops can’t be the only badass in the family,” he tells me as he’s standing a little taller.

  After I introduce him to Kat, we spend the afternoon hanging out.

  Chapter 25

  Axl

  On the drive down south, all I can think about is leaving Dana and Mom home alone with that slimy little fuck, Tony, in town. After we settle shit with the Reyes we can get the fuck back home and get back to something normal for once.

  Ice, the Elko Prez from the north eastern corner of the state, is also headed this way for this meet up with the Reyes. We are bringing all the firepower that we can with us. He’
s going to cover our backs in town while we talk with Cobra.

  The Reno and California chapters rode down together for this meet before we call Cobra, the Reyes Prez. We pull up to the clubhouse gate in Las Vegas. I can’t wait to stretch out, take a hot shower and find some food after a six-hour drive on our bikes. The tall, long gate rattles open allowing us all entrance.

  This clubhouse is like a second home to us. Blade, Tank and I grew up here. The brothers and sluts start trailing out of the club at the sound of our bikes. Stryker stands on the walkway from the gravel parking lot, with his arms crossed. He’s not happy with Blade, and I can’t say that I blame him.

  We park the twenty plus bikes and walk toward the door and the club’s main president, Stryker.

  “Bitches, move the fuck on until notice. I want the Presidents and the VP’s in Church, now.”

  Not a hello or nada. Stryker turns and knocks a few bitches out of the way with his bulky body as he’s plowing through the front door of the Mother Chapter’s clubhouse. He is followed by Fuego, Blade and then the rest of us walk inside.

  “Lock the club down until Ice gets here. No one fucking leaves,” Stryker bellows, stomping down the hallway to Church.

  “Some shit I was hoping to never have to revisit in my motherfucking lifetime, and this was one of them, goddamn it.”

  We take seats around the table and the door is locked behind us.

  “Let’s get this shit over with. Why the fuck is the Black Widow up in Reno with you?” Stryker looks pointedly at Blade.

  “We all knew the previous President was up to shit and we all knew he was dealing with diamonds, we just didn’t have all the connections. The sex trafficking was his side profit, but the diamonds… The diamonds were worth millions and with less risk. With the intel Cuervo brought us, we hunted until Spider found the Black Widow. Cobra is her father, her estranged father, and she wants him dead. She can’t take him out herself directly,” Blade explains to his old man.

  “Blade, she could be playing us, only to deliver us right to him in the end,” Stryker theorizes.