by Sam Crescent
Master had taught her that. If she pleased him and did it willingly, she wouldn’t get into so much trouble and it wouldn’t hurt.
Licking her dry lips, she stared at him, seeing how tired he was. She didn’t want to be with Dick. The truth was she didn’t want to be with any man, but Death was the lesser of two evils.
“You were related to that fucker, Ronald?”
She nodded.
“You know he’s dead, right?”
“I know.” Brianna hadn’t mourned Ronald’s death. When she’d heard the crew talking about what went down in a place called Fort Wills, she’d been so happy. Unlike a lot of the women she’d only ever been forced to service her master and whoever her master wanted her to serve.
“Don’t you care?”
“He was evil.”
Death stared at her for a long time.
Neither of them spoke. This was the closest they’d been, apart from when he’d trapped her against the sink. He was a deadly man, and his appearance made him fierce to look at. Death had dark hair that was almost black. Dark brown eyes stared back at her, always assessing her. From the way he looked, she knew he was always thinking, planning.
“You know Devil’s going to give you a choice.”
After Lexie’s visit to her in the kitchen, Brianna knew she didn’t have a choice, not really. She nodded in response.
“Then the final decision is up to you,” he said. Again, she stayed quiet while he talked. “You can make a choice to either provide for all the brothers or to take just one, and if you don’t want either of these you can leave.”
“Someone has to want to claim me.” She really didn’t want to go with Dick. He unnerved her, scared her a little. The kiss he’d given her had been all about possession, ownership. There was something darker to Dick that he kept well hidden from everyone else, but she saw it, and it terrified her.
“I want you,” Death said.
Her heart continued to pound. She wasn’t ready for this, yet she didn’t have a choice.
“Dick also wants you. If you want, I’ll beat the shit out of him to prove I’m the better of the two.” The smile on his face affected her deeply. She didn’t smile back. What was happening wasn’t a laughing matter.
“Where will we live?” she asked.
“Here in the clubhouse. I don’t have a place of my own. In time I’ll get one.”
“What does this mean?” She kept the blanket held underneath her chin.
He moved to sit on the bed. She stayed still, liking how close he was. It was strange for her. Most men who came near her unnerved her, forcing her to want to be elsewhere. Death was the first man she actually liked being close to. It made absolutely no sense to her whatsoever.
“It means you’ll be mine. You’ll sleep in my bed, ride my bike, and ask me about any decisions. You’ll become an old lady, like Judi, Lexie, Mia—you know the drill. None of the whores will get to talk back to you.”
“But you don’t need to keep me as an old lady right? I heard others talking that some men keep a woman just for them. She’s not allowed to service any other men?” Why was she questioning him? This was a good thing. Out of all of the available men, Death was the least scary.
Strange, Brianna. His name literally means Death.
She’d heard the other brothers talking. They all talked, and Death was one of the worst men for killing people. Not only did he kill them, he made sure the bodies were never found. Was that why she felt so safe around him? No one had ever gotten the upper hand around him. She’d be safe.
“That kind of thing doesn’t happen in Chaos Bleeds anymore. On the road some of the boys would keep a whore for themselves, but that was years ago before we settled down. But I don’t want you to be a club whore. I want you to be my old lady.”
“Why? You don’t even know me.”
Shut up, Brianna. It’s this, Dick, or the rest of them.
“I know enough about you that I know I want you.”
“Will you want sex?” she asked, staring back at him.
“Yes.”
Brianna stared at the blanket covering her body.
“It doesn’t matter who you pick, they’re going to want to have sex.”
She knew that.
“I’m going to give you to the end of the week to make a decision.” He stood, leaning over her. She tensed for a second as he cupped her cheek. He didn’t withdraw from her touch. Death made her look back at him. “I’m going to kiss you right now. You’ve felt Dick’s lips on yours. It’s time you felt mine.”
There was no way for her to be ready for the riot of sensation that built up inside her. Death’s lips were firm but not bruising. Where Dick had taken what he wanted without care, Death took his time, letting her grow accustomed to the feel of his lips on hers.
His tongue glided over her lips asking for access to her mouth. She didn’t give it at first, frightened of what it would all mean. The patience he showed allowed her to trust him. Brianna opened her lips slightly, and he plundered her mouth with his tongue. She released the grip on the blanket to grab hold of his arms.
Not once did he release his hold from her cheek. The kiss deepened, and for the first time in her life, Brianna felt warmth spill from the lips of her pussy. She pressed her legs together in an attempt to relieve the building ache inside her.
All too soon he withdrew from her. The kiss was over, yet the heat remained.
“Think about that while you’re making your decision. I’ve done a lot of bad shit in my time, Brianna. I’ve killed, hurt, and maimed, but I’ve never take a woman against her will. I will not force you, rape you. When we’re together I want you to be there every single step of the way. I’ll be patient, but I’ll not wait around forever.” He stroked his thumb across her cheek before leaving her alone.
She stared at the closed door wondering what the hell she was to do. Her lips tingled, and her body felt all achy like she needed to be touched or stroked. Staring around her small room, she knew the choice she needed to make.
****
The following day Devil sat at the head of the large table in the Chaos Bleeds meeting room, looking over the prices for a blasted Christmas tree. He wasn’t in the mood to be dealing with all this festive crap, but seeing the look of joy on Judi’s and Lexie’s faces, he knew he couldn’t deny them a Christmas to be proud of. He called for a club meeting, and all he was doing was waiting for the men to enter the room. Snake was the first man to enter. He looked like shit with bruises along either side of his nose.
Ripper, Curse, and Pussy filed in together, taking seats around the large table. This was the room where they took votes, made plans, and settled scores.
Death and Dick were two of the last to arrive. They took their seats glaring at each other.
“What’s the meeting being called for, boss?” Pussy asked, looking way too happy. Married life suited him, and even being married to Sasha suited him, which surprised the fuck out of Devil.
“We’ve got to decide upon a tree. Lexie gave me all of this shit to decide. It’s my club, and we’re to decide what tree we get.” This was their first order of business. Since he’d been with Lexie he celebrated Christmas at home with a few of the brothers stopping by. This year was different. They had all lost parts of themselves because of Gonzalez. Devil knew he was changed. Transporting young girls had broken a part of him that he’d never get back. In all of his years of being a biker, he’d never once been pushed into dealing in underage girls. He’d dealt in guns and drugs but never that. It was hard at times when he had Elizabeth in his arms, and he stared at Judi. They were his girls. Judi wasn’t his by blood, but she was his. He’d laid claim to her, adopted her, and she had become the club princess. If anyone touched his daughter, he’d fucking kill them. Everything he despised he’d done because of the threat Gonzalez posed. He wasn’t going to let that happen. Chaos Bleeds were going to be stronger for it. Piston County was going to be theirs, and there wouldn’t be any t
hreat in the future. He’d take the lead to make sure the club and his boys were protected.
“You’re fucking serious?” Dick asked. “You’ve called us all in for a fucking tree?”
“Watch your fucking mouth. I heard about you, you little shit. This is what my woman wants. She takes care of the club.”
“Sasha’s looking forward to it, too. I was going to take her away for Christmas, but she’s happy to stay here.” Pussy reached out to grab the list from him before turning to look at Dick. “You’ve got to have a woman who wants you for more than your dick to understand. Oh, you’ve also got to have more about you. You, Dick, you’re just a dick.”
No one argued with Pussy’s assessment. Devil glared at Dick, who kept his fucking mouth shut. He’d be talking with him all too soon.
“The fir one with fake snow sounds good,” Pussy said. He passed the page around the club, while each man added in their input. Devil was going to spank Lexie’s ass for making him do this. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. He wondered if Lexie had figured that out yet. His love for her had only gotten stronger over the years, even with her visiting Eva. How could he deny her anything?
“In the new year we’re going to have to start organizing women for the strip club. We all want a new name, fresh start, none of the shit that went down, we want it all gone.” He looked toward Vincent. “Are you still okay to work it?”
“I’m fine with that. We set down the ground rules, and the boys can help out where they can.”
“No drugs,” Butler said, speaking up. “We keep the drugs out of it.”
Devil nodded. He was proud of Butler for taking a new lease on life.
“I’m in agreement with that,” Curse said. “Drugs are out of it. We’re no longer controlled by it. We’re all clean.”
The boys nodded in agreement. They had five men still in rehab dealing with their addictions. Devil had given all the men an ultimatum, get clean or get out of the club. Gonzalez had stepped up his game, and Devil hadn’t been about to be at the mercy of the bastard.
“No dealing from the women either. They’re checked regularly,” Ripper said.
“No old ladies in the club,” Pussy said. “I know I’ve got no worries from Sasha, but I don’t want the women thinking we’re going to stray.”
“I’m not keeping Judi away,” Ripper said. “She trusts me. There’s no woman I want more than her.”
“Me neither,” Curse said. “I’m talking about Mia.”
“I gathered.” Devil said. He didn’t need to add that he wouldn’t stray from Lexie. There was no way he’d risk losing his woman for a piece of pussy. She was all he needed. “Okay, we’ll handle the hiring of the women. Also, we’ll deal with the running of the club, helping you out, Vincent.”
“I don’t care what you need to do. I’m with you, Devil. You know me. I’ve already talked to Phoebe, and she’s happy with it. I wonder if she hopes I’ll stray.” He made a joke. The men chuckled. They all knew Vincent was loyal to his woman. No one could get him to stray. On the night of his bachelor party, Devil tried to get him to have one night of freedom to remember what free pussy was all about. He wouldn’t do it. Devil remembered Vincent getting angry, telling him it was supposed to be about fun. Cheating, to Vincent, wasn’t about fun. They all also knew that Vincent was an insatiable man. He’d stop what he was doing and hunt Phoebe out just to fuck her. It was probably why Phoebe became a stay-at-home mom.
“What’s going on with Brianna?” Snake asked, drawing the conversation to the topic Devil really didn’t want to discuss.
“She’s been given her options. I’ve given her a week to make a choice.”
“It’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” Pussy asked. “It is Christmas.”
“Ronald was her uncle,” Death said.
“What?” All the men snapped, turning to look at Death.
“I talked to her last night. Her parents died and she needed to finish school, so they sent her to Ronald without question. Once she finished school, he passed her onto another man who owned her.”
Devil saw this news pissed Death off.
“I didn’t ask any more questions. Even being related to the fuckers didn’t help her.”
“No, but now we’ve got to know where she came from and if someone’s going to try to make a play for her,” Dick said.
“You mean like you did last night?” Death glared, facing Dick.
“No one said she was off limits. I saw an opportunity, and I fucking took it.”
Death got to his feet at the same time as Dick.
Devil wasn’t in the mood to replace all of the furniture in his office. Christmas was already going to cost him plenty.
“Sit the fuck down,” he said.
Both men slowly lowered themselves into the chair, neither one looking happy about it.
“Whoever comes around Brianna doesn’t want to be with them. She’s fucking terrified but hides it,” Death said.
“I agree.” Curse spoke up this time as did Ripper.
“Judi has talked about her. She believes Brianna’s learned to be obedient. We’ve all watched the redhead. There’s nothing right about her. She doesn’t care about the sex going on. In fact, she does everything to ignore everyone and to stay hidden.”
Devil nodded. “We’ll deal with Brianna in time and if any shit comes from her.”
They talked about setting drug runs back up, but Devil decided against going straight into drug runs.
“We’ve got a town to protect. Jerry’s no longer with us. Gonzalez is out. We’ve got to find the people who want the best for the town and not someone who is going to fucking break the town for a quick buck,” Devil said. His biggest issues were the cops who wanted to earn money on the side. They could be dangerous for the town and for his club.
“I can give Whizz a call and ask him to look at the men currently on the force,” Pussy said. “We got on quite well.”
“Be careful. Tiny won’t like it,” Devil said.
“You’re still going to stay away from Fort Wills and Tiny?” Death asked.
“He insulted us. We’ve caused each other more trouble than not. I’m not going to start up relations again. We’re fucking finished.”
“Simon doesn’t think so,” Pussy said, speaking up.
Devil shot him a glare.
“What? Anyone who’s listening can hear your son has got a hard-on for Tabitha. Have we all forgotten who Tabitha is? Right, she’s Tiny’s daughter.” Pussy looked around the table.
“First, my son is too fucking young to have a hard-on for anything. Give it time and he’ll forget about her. He’s not your concern.”
Pussy stared back at him looking doubtful.
Once everything was dealt with, Devil dismissed the club but demanded that Dick stay behind.
When the door was closed, he stared down the table at Dick. He was an asshole to the core, but he was also a great man, a loyal man.
“What the fuck are you doing with Brianna?” Devil asked.
“I gave her a choice. I didn’t realize it was only for Death to make a claim.”
“You’ve not showed any interest before.”
“I’ve not showed interest because I was giving her time. If she wants Death, fine. If not, I’m happy to take her.”
“Back away from her, Dick, unless your claim is real. You’ve never showed any signs of wanting her before at all. I’m not in the mood for your games. If you’re just fucking with Death, don’t,” Devil said. Whatever had happened to Brianna, Dick didn’t have the skill to handle it. He was a selfish bastard. Anyone could see it, but Dick was known for getting a kick out of pissing brothers off. His sudden interest in Brianna could be to piss Death off.
“Is this a direct order or an advisory?”
“You don’t love her, and you’re not looking at long term. Death wants her. Leave her to him. I’m not interested in paying for any cleanup between the two of you.” Death and Dick fightin
g would be a problem for the club.
“What makes you think he’s better than me?” Dick asked.
“I don’t. You’re trying to cause shit for Death. Two of my men at each other’s throats is not what I want to be dealing with. Get your kicks elsewhere, Dick. I mean it.”
“Death’s easy when it comes to Brianna.”
“You’re fucking everything that walks around. Don’t fucking argue with me, Dick. You’re not going to like it.”
“Fine, can I go?” Dick asked.
“Yes.”
Alone, Devil rested his head against the back of his chair.
Lexie appeared in the doorway. “Am I allowed to enter this domain?” she asked.
He pulled away from the table, tapping his lap. “I’ve always got room for you.”
She walked toward him, giving him time to admire her curves. They were generous. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on her.
“What’s going on? You look stressed.”
“Dick’s being an asshole and trying to make a claim on Brianna. I believe the bastard is trying to get his kicks out of causing problems in the club.” Lexie tensed in his arms. “Don’t worry. I’ve warned him. I’ve not got any interest in dealing with brothers fighting over a woman.”
“I never knew he had a thing for her.”
“He doesn’t. Dick will take what he wants and spit her back out. She’d be more scarred by the end of it.”
“Has he always been like this?”
“From the very beginning. Dick was different when he was on drugs, but before the drugs, this is exactly what he was like. Whatever woman truly catches his eye has got some work on her hands. He’s a possessive bastard when he starts.”
She rested her head against his body. “I love you, Devil.”
“I love you, too, baby, more than you’ll ever realize.”
Chapter Four
The delivery of the tree came two days later¸ and Death along with several of the brothers was dragging it into the house. Lexie was barking out orders of where she wanted it to go. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Brianna waiting with a dustpan and brush to clean up the pine needles. He wished he understood where her obsessive need for cleaning came. Ever since he’d gone into her bedroom she’d done everything to avoid him. He also noticed she didn’t sit and eat with them anymore, either.