by Sam Crescent
He got off the bike and helped her to her feet. Without answering her, he turned and kissed her hard, desperately, while reaching up her dress. She felt his passion, his intense need to claim her. Callie closed her eyes and tossed her head back as he trailed kisses down her neck. He pulled her panties to one side and impaled two fingers deep into her cunt. She sat down heavily, taking more, her breathing already labored.
“Aren’t we supposed to talk?” She could barely say those few words.
“Do you really need to know what broke me to know that I love you?”
“You love me?”
“Besides the club, you’re all I have. All I want,” Brick said.
He was right. There was no point in rehashing a tragic childhood just to feel understood. She’d been through hell and back in her short life, so she knew what made him tick. For him to admit he loved her meant a lot. It was all she needed to hear.
“You’re my man.” She reached out and cupped his erection with her hand, squeezing just hard enough to make him groan.
“Don’t think I love you any less because I don’t say all the flowery words. I’m committed to you. Only you. I consider you my old lady.”
“Am I?”
She knew the significance of what he was saying. The club pussy talked about old ladies like they were royalty or something. No one dared to mess with them. They were the chosen few. She saw the way Lord adored Ally. Callie wondered if Brick would ever officially claim her as his.
“I’ll make the announcement during our next meeting. Everyone will know exactly how I feel about you.” He ran a hand over her hair and looked at her with pure adoration. Brick made her feel like a princess. “Tell me a secret. Something you shouldn’t have done or something you should have told me.”
She tilted her head, wondering where he was going with this. “I haven’t done anything wrong, Brick. You’re the only man I’ve ever been with.”
He shook his head. “I’m not accusing you. I’m not mad. I just want you to go first. I can’t stand to see you upset with me.”
Callie wondered what he’d done that he felt he had to confess. She knew he loved her but wanted to clear the air before making her his old lady. Hearing that he’d been with another woman when she loved him more than life itself would shatter her to pieces. Now she had to go first, confess something to Brick.
She thought for a bit.
“Most of my family are addicts. They steal to support their habit. I swore I’d never become like them, never date a man with a criminal record.”
“Good thing I don’t have one.” He winked.
“That’s not it,” she said. “I know what you are and it … turns me on.”
He raised a brow. “You like having a bad boy. Such a naughty girl.” Brick backed her up until he had her pinned against a large tree. “How about I fuck you right here, right now? Hard, just how you like it.”
“Not yet. I want to know what’s eating away at your conscience first.”
He exhaled, did a little spin with his hands in his hair. “I don’t want you to hate me, Callie. I fucking love you. Sometimes I do things without thinking straight.”
“Just spit it out, Brick.” Her entire body tensed. She wondered how she’d respond if it was exactly what she didn’t want to hear.
He braced one hand against the tree, looking down. “I burned that fucking trailer to the ground. If you couldn’t have it, that bitch certainly didn’t deserve it.”
She froze. Yes, it was a place filled with happy memories. It was where her grandmother helped raise her later in her childhood. But it had been taken from her. She had no legal rights to it. All she could focus on now was the fact Brick hadn’t cheated on her.
“Good.”
“Good?”
“When she kicked me out of that trailer, I spiraled downward. I hit rock bottom and had no one in the world to turn to. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” She took another cleansing breath. “I’m glad you burned it down.”
He laughed out loud. “I’ve lost sleep over this, woman.”
“Now you know, don’t keep secrets. They’re bad for your health.”
“Except you, you’re my dirty little secret.” He hoisted her up against the tree, the rough bark scraping her ass. She wrapped her legs around him as he fiddled with his belt. “And I’m going to give you this hard dick. It’s all yours. You want it?”
“Make me forget my name.”
He kissed her with so much passion—love, anger, desperation. They were one and the same. And she hoped nothing ever came between them.
Chapter Twelve
“You do realize you look like a giant pussy,” Lord said.
“Fuck off.” Brick hooked his fingers against the tie that seemed to be digging right against his neck. Why did people wear these fucking things? He wouldn’t ever understand.
“Do you have any doubts, man?” Righteous asked.
“None.”
The boys were pissing him off by constantly questioning his decision. It was one he was going to stick to because unlike a lot of the guys in the club, he knew when he had a good thing.
“Where’s Ally?” he asked.
“You know where she is.”
Helping to convince Callie to get changed into the expensive wedding dress he’d purchased. Brick hadn’t gone for the traditional proposal like a normal person, no, not him. He decided to plan the whole thing by himself, with a little help from Ally. Actually, to do this in top secret had required a lot of work. Ally had organized the decoration of the clubhouse, and much to his annoyance, it looked like a pink explosion. It was … girly. No one would have thought for a single second this place housed scary-ass bikers. It was a joke. He hoped no one outside the club ever heard the truth.
Brick had acquired a tux, a wedding dress, and a priest. That was all he needed. When he told Ally his idea, she’d laughed at him and asked him if he was joking. Not exactly the best thing for a guy who intended to marry the love of his life to hear. So instead of doing what he thought was best, he gave Ally full rein.
Staring around him, he wondered if that was a mistake. The wedding cake was in full view, five tiers, with little dolls on the top that reminded him of something from a voodoo horror movie. The brothers were having the time of their lives, but at Ally’s insistence, they were all wearing tuxes. She wouldn’t accept any of them dressed in leather, not even her man.
At least she knew how to keep them in line. Flowers were everywhere as well. Anyone with allergies was up shit creek.
“I can’t believe you’re ready for this, man,” Lord said. “I never thought I’d see the day a pussy got you wrapped around her little finger.”
Brick laughed. “We both know Callie’s not like any other woman. Same as Ally’s not like any other. They’re special.”
“They’re ours. It’s what makes them special.”
It had been over a month since they took out the remaining Skull Nation club. At least, the ones they knew about. Steel was still gone—if he even existed. Brick honestly didn’t know, but he went with his gut which suggested he was out there.
Someone pulled strings in the background.
Whoever Steel was, he was clever. He nearly tore their club apart with worries of a damn rat, and all this time it had only been a damn bug.
He dreaded to think of what would have happened if Copper hadn’t discovered it. The club would have been in some dire straits. No one would have trusted anyone. Now, as a precaution, a general sweep of the clubhouse was required. Lord was keeping Copper busy.
Each time there was a scan, Brick was always tense. He trusted his brothers but knew deep down at any point, a traitor could be lurking. Steel had managed to instill doubt, and Brick was doing everything he could to ignore it.
“Any news?” he asked.
Brick needed to distract himself from the nerves. With Callie not knowing he intended to marry her, and spending the last couple of weeks keeping his distance, he worrie
d what she might think.
“None. There’s no guarantee Steel even existed, but I’ve got sources checking it out. If they rear their fucking heads, we’ll take them out.”
There was no doubt about it, Lord was on a warpath to take out the Skull Nation. He couldn’t blame him. If those bastards were alive, there was going to be trouble.
The guys all mingled, glancing over at him, waiting.
Brick checked the time for the umpteenth time. “Have you heard from Ally?”
Lord pulled out his cell phone and shook his head. “No news is good news.”
“Or Callie’s skipped town because she realizes what an asshole I am.”
“Wow, you sound scared.”
“Wouldn’t you be?” Brick asked. “If this was Ally?”
Lord chuckled. “I wouldn’t have given my woman any chance to doubt me.”
“Bastard.”
Brick’s hands clenched and released. He took a deep breath, trying not to panic. Callie was the love of his life, and this had to be the single most romantic thing he’d ever done. He’d been thinking about her the entire time.
At night, his thoughts were on her. He spent hours watching her sleep, holding her in his arms, breathing in her scent. It was hard to believe this woman had picked him out of every other man in the world.
He knew how fucking lucky he was and wouldn’t waste a moment of the gift he’d been given. With the life he led, he didn’t deserve an angel—but one had fallen into his lap.
“Give me your damn cell phone,” he said.
Lord snorted but didn’t fight him as he took the cell phone and dialed Ally’s number. He happened to notice the number of times Lord called her. The couple was rarely apart, but it clearly showed the prez was obsessed with his woman, too.
“Hey, baby, not much longer.”
“It’s me, Brick.”
“Hey,” Ally said.
“What’s the holdup?” he asked. “Is she there?”
“She, er, she doesn’t understand why I want her to try on the dress. In the end, I told her that a friend really wanted to see it, and I needed her to wear it. Callie’s not very trusting, is she?”
Brick laughed. “She a little freaked?”
“I think I’ve gone from her favorite person to her least favorite one. I don’t know how I’m going to get her downstairs.”
The brothers had worked long into the night to get the clubhouse looking like this. Ally had organized everything, stored it all in the warehouse around back, and then he’d taken Callie upstairs and spent the entire night fucking her into oblivion so she wouldn’t wander downstairs.
He and Ally had switched places in the morning, and now it was up to Ally to get the bride to her own wedding.
“The hormones,” he said. “Act like a crazy woman. Do whatever it takes to get her down here.”
“Damn it. I’m not good at lying.”
“Please, Ally, I’ll owe you one.” He hung up the cell phone before Ally could scare him with any of her demands.
Lord, in response, chuckled. “I’ve got a baby with another on the way. Are you sure you just did the right thing?”
“It can’t be that bad.”
“Have you met me?” Lord asked. “They’re my spawn, Brick. Damn, you must be desperate because she’ll have you babysitting, no doubt.”
This wasn’t going exactly how he hoped.
Brick glanced at the priest, who looked at him in pity.
Not good.
Time kept on ticking by.
He heard a text message coming from Ally. “They’re on their way down.”
“Okay, here we go.” He moved through the brothers and Lord rounded them up to get into position. Silence fell on the room once they settled into place.
Brick moved toward the door that led up to the bedrooms. Running fingers through his hair, he stopped. Then, the door opened.
“He’s going to go crazy when he sees you,” Ally said, her voice loud and clear in the hush. She was talking a mile a minute as she pulled Callie into the main room, and Brick fell in love all over again.
Ally had shown him six dresses. He’d hated all but this one. Tight to the body, highlighting every single curve of her luscious figure. The fullness of her tits and hips, the small waist. The only downfall to the dress was it went down to the floor, hiding her thick, juicy thighs that were designed to be wrapped around his waist as he fucked her hard and fast.
“Brick?” she asked.
“Callie.” He was mesmerized. Lost in thought. She was even more beautiful than he remembered.
“What’s going on?”
He had no idea. He couldn’t look away, nor did he want to. Ally patted his shoulder. “This is the part where you go down one knee.”
“Oh, yeah, right.” He slid down and reached into his back pocket. “Callie, I’m in love with you. Have been since I walked in as a chicken farmer. I love you more than anything else in this world. I want to marry you. To make you happy, to put my kids inside you.”
“Be careful, there’s a priest,” Lord whispered.
Righteous had wanted to perform the ceremony, but he wasn’t fit to stand up. It had pissed him off because he’d asked Brick to wait, but he couldn’t be patient. He had to put his ring on her finger as soon as possible. Waiting around wasn’t an option for him.
“Ask her to marry you,” Ally said.
He glared at her.
“Marry me, Callie. Please, and make me the happiest man on earth.”
He stared at her, waiting. Hoping, his nerves firing hot.
“You did all of this for me?” Callie asked.
Had he been presumptuous? What if she didn’t want to marry him at all?
“Yes. I need you, Callie. I didn’t want to wait.”
“Which is the only reason I’m not up there,” Righteous said, interfering. “I wasn’t getting healed fast enough for the big guy.”
Callie laughed.
“Is that a yes?”
She cupped his cheeks and laughed. “Of course, it’s a yes. It’s a big fat yes.” She slammed her lips down on his, kissing him hard. “I love you, and yes, I will marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Wrapping his arms around her, he stood and pulled her close. It was the best answer he could have hoped for.
****
One week later
Callie stared down at her wedding band. When Ally had trapped her in her room, she had no idea what the hell was going on or what Brick had planned. She’d brought in a dress and some crazy explanation about her trying it on. Callie usually humored her friend, but everything felt off.
At first, she’d declined. Ally had gotten emotional, and Callie had panicked since she was expecting another baby. But it had all worked out in the end.
After the priest had declared them man and wife, and Brick kissed her, he’d told her everything. How he’d originally intended to have their wedding. She was really pleased Ally had stepped in. Brick’s plan had sounded cute, but it wasn’t the kind of wedding she would’ve wanted.
She’d only get married once, and well, this was her first and only.
Much to her surprise, Lord had presented them both with a honeymoon package. They’d been taken away on an all-expenses-paid trip to a luxury island that offered sun, sand, sea, and relaxation. The resort was peaceful, quiet.
When they arrived, she had seen loads of people, but since being shown to their private villa, with their own view, she hadn’t even heard anyone else.
Brick had loved it.
So had Callie when he showed her exactly how good it was to be all alone. It had been her first time on a plane, her first vacation ever. They were able to connect on a new level.
The ocean was hard for her to go into as she had this fear of sharks and giant sea creatures. Brick had distracted her by making love to her.
He’d told her the island offered tours and other amenities, but she was happy to be left alone with only
Brick for company.
He told her things might be a little stressful when they got home. Callie had been even more surprised when he’d told her exactly why they would be.
“I don’t want to keep you from club business,” he said. “Some of the guys don’t share shit with their women, and that’s fine. With you, I don’t want any secrets between us.”
“Oh,” she said.
He’d told her everything. About Steel, the Skull Nation, the listening device. He didn’t leave anything out. Brick had asked her if she remembered someone called Steel from the lumber yard, and she hadn’t. At work, she’d been made to stay well clear of the biker club.
She gladly stayed away from them.
Sitting on the sand on an oversized beach towel, the sun beaming down at her, her thoughts were on the Skull Nation. From the moment they walked into the shop, she knew they were bad news, but hadn’t said anything. At the time, she needed the work, and years of learning to look the other way with how she grew up, she had done so as well.
“Hey, baby,” Brick said, coming out and handing her a cocktail.
She removed her glasses as she looked at him. “Hey.”
He pressed a thumb to her forehead. “What’s got you frowning?”
She was a little distracted by his nakedness. Brick refused to wear any clothes, so his full muscular body, covered in ink, was on display. He looked droolworthy. She was glad there were no other women around for her to be jealous of. No one else would look at her man.
“Skull Nation.”
“Don’t let it bother you, babe. Believe me, we’ve got it more than handled.”
“But I think there is a way I can help you.”
“Not happening. You’re not being used as bait or any of that shit.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about bait. I’m talking about the shop. I know I didn’t handle them, but Jeff did. He had to have started a paper trail, right?”
“Not if they paid cash for everything.”
She frowned. “No, we would have still had to do an invoice or something. There was too much stuff moving.”
Brick took a sip of his cocktail. She couldn’t help but laugh as it had a little umbrella perched on the edge, with lots of cherries in it.