by Lori King
“Please, Luke. I need you,” she whispered, as he pushed two fingers between her swollen pussy lips. His cock followed, stretching her labia wide around his thickness. In this position, she felt tighter, and he felt thicker. Between that and the taboo of having sex in his childhood home while their family waited downstairs, they were neither one long for play, and they quickly exploded with each other. Luke slammed his cock deep into her body until she could feel the twitching member against her cervix. She’d never imagined herself being so wanton, but she had to admit, she liked the fire he stirred inside her.
Chapter 19
“Luke you have to go to work sometime, you can’t keep using your vacation time,” Tavi said over the breakfast table interrupting Sonny’s nonstop chatter.
“You have a job?” Sonny asked, turning her wide eyes on Luke.
“Yep, I’m an EMT. That means I ride around in ambulances all day,” Luke answered.
Looking dutifully impressed, Sonny asked, “So, have you ever gotten to stick a pen in someone’s throat so that they can breathe?”
Tavi gasped. “Sonny! What in the world?”
Luke was laughing, but Sonny just shrugged. “I saw it on TV once. This woman couldn’t breathe, and this guy had to take the ink out of a pen and stick it through the skin of her throat. It was so gross.”
“I’ve never had to use a pen before, but I have had to open someone’s throat. We call that a tracheotomy,” Luke explained.
After several days with her and Sonny he seemed to have adjusted to her daughter’s nonstop questions and wild imagination. Nothing seemed to ruffle him anymore. In fact, he and Sonny were a lot alike in personality. They were both deep thinkers with vivid imaginations. More than once she’d heard the two of them trying to one-up each other with creative stories.
While Sonny went to school, she and Luke learned more about each other. Physically they were explosive together, but they were still two emotionally damaged souls who were trying to make their newfound relationship work. She’s opened up to him about being a single mom, and the hardships she’d faced, and he’d filled her in on everything that happened when his mother met Nathan and his family fell apart. She had to hand it to his father Dawson. It took one hell of a man to be strong enough to walk away in that situation.
“Sonny go get your teeth brushed, and put your shoes on. The bus will be here soon,” Tavi directed before looking back to Luke. “As I was saying. You’re going to have to go back to work sometime.”
Luke looked disappointed but he nodded. “I know, but I’ve kinda liked hanging out with you guys.”
Her heart warmed, and she smiled. “Me, too. It’s been a nice break from reality. Unfortunately I have bills to pay, so I have to go back to the diner to get my last paycheck and then start looking for a new job.”
Instantly Luke’s mood shifted, and he grew tense. “You’re not going back there without me. Shane might try to hurt you again.”
Sighing, she shook her head. “I can handle Shane. I have to go in, Luke, I need that money.”
“How much is it? I’ll cover it. I have plenty of money in a trust in my name. It was my inheritance from my grandparents to use for college, but since I skipped college I’ve never used it.”
“I’m not taking your money. Really, it’s not that big of a deal. You go to work today, and I’ll run by the diner. If Shane gives me trouble I’ll leave and wait for you to go back,” she said softly, trying not to let his bossiness irritate her. He was obviously trying to protect her, but sometimes he drove her nuts with his choice of words.
After a moment of thought, he reached for his phone. “I have another idea.”
Four hours later, Tavi found herself walking into Between the Buns bookended by two large bodyguards. Luke had called Noah, and the attorney she’d met the other night, Owen.
“I know you haven’t decided whether or not to sue, but it’s still better for you if you take precautions,” he’d insisted. To her surprise both men had readily agreed to accompany her, and shown up within the hour.
Even though she’d met Noah the other night, she took the time to really compare the two brothers this time. Noah Gray looked nothing like his brother. He was built bulkier, and he had sandy-brown hair that needed a trim. The only thing that seemed alike was their hazel eyes and she wondered if her children would inherit those same changing golden amber eyes, or her own blue-gray ones. Instantly kicking herself for thinking about babies with Luke, she stiffened up, and the two men with her noticed.
“It’s okay, Tavi, we’re not going to let anything bad happen,” Owen said reassuringly.
“Damn right, if that fucker has the balls to show his face, I’ll be glad to break it for him.” Noah growled, and she fought back a giggle. Okay, so maybe he was more like Luke than she thought.
“Sorry, I’m just not sure what to expect. Ray said he would be here today to give me my check, and he never comes to the diner. It seems odd.”
Mila waved to her from the other side of the room, and she returned the greeting as she headed for the storage room where Ray’s desk was. Just as she stepped through the prep area door she heard her name, and turned to find Fawn glaring at her with her hip cocked and hellfire in her eyes.
“You’ve got some hellacious balls to show up here,” Fawn said nastily.
Tavi flinched. “Excuse me?”
“You couldn’t just be satisfied with screwing Shane behind my back? You had to come on to him in the middle of the restaurant? What kind of whore are you?” Fawn’s words dripped with venom, and Tavi stood frozen in place. Absolute shock hit her like a cold wind.
“What are you talking about? Is that what he told you?”
The arrogant tilt of Fawn’s chin was all the answer Tavi needed. “Well let me tell you what really happened before you get all high and mighty and throw that word around, Fawn. Your man cornered me in the back, and offered to ‘let me have the same arrangement Fawn has’ and I politely declined. Then he decided that he didn’t know what the word no meant, and he hit me. Thanks to Oren’s interference I didn’t end up going to jail for homicide, because he damn sure would have paid for hitting me the moment I got back on my feet. So understand what the term whore means, and wear it with pride, because there’s no way I’d ever consider giving my body up for a better shift.”
Without another word, she spun on her heel and left a completely silent room behind her, plowing through the prep room and almost directly into Ray Bunten. She didn’t hear Owen and Noah follow her because she was so caught up in her temper, but she knew they were right behind her when Ray’s eyes widened with apprehension.
He cleared his throat and tried to smile. “Uh, oh, yes, Tavi, hello. Um, you’re here for your check?”
“Is that all you have to say to my client?” Owen’s voice echoed through the room, and Ray’s mouth fell open. Tavi’s would have, too, if she hadn’t bit down on her jaw to hold it closed. This wasn’t in the plan, but she was too fired up to speak at the moment, so she was going to see what Owen had in mind before she protested.
“Client?” Ray asked nervously.
Offering his hand to her former boss, Owen introduced himself. “I’m Ms. Reid’s attorney. You do understand that she was sexually harassed, forced to work in a hostile working environment, and then assaulted before being wrongfully terminated. Correct?”
Ray’s sunbaked tan skin broke out in a visible sweat and he took a step backward. “Now wait a second. I didn’t—”
“You didn’t protect her?” Noah said scornfully. “Damn right you didn’t.”
“Who are you?” Ray asked, swallowing his nerves and turning a glare on Tavi. “I don’t know what this is all about, Tavi, but I thought you were coming here to discuss the possibility of getting your job back?”
She laughed. She couldn’t stop herself. All of the emotion just tumbled out of her in a loud laugh. “I don’t want this job back, Ray. I didn’t really want it in the first place, but I sure
as hell don’t want it when I know you’re willing to let good people like Oren and me go in order to keep scum like Shane.”
“So that’s what this is? You’re giving me an ultimatum, you or him?”
She shook her head. “No, Ray. Even if you fire Shane, I’m done with you and this diner.”
“Fine, I’ll get your last check now.” Ray marched back into the small storage room leaving her alone with Noah and Owen.
“Attorney?” she whispered with a lifted eyebrow.
“Yes ma’am. You’re part of the family now, and we take care of our own.” He paused as they heard Ray rip off a check from the checkbook. A glint of predator flashed in his eyes and Tavi shivered. “Watch this.”
Ray stepped back into the room with a check held between his fingers like it was a dirty diaper. “Here. Good luck with your job hunt.”
“I certainly hope that check includes the necessary recompense for my client’s emotional disturbance, and severance for her to use while she gets back on her feet after this traumatic experience?” Owen said loudly.
Ray blushed, making his tanned cheeks look orange. “Recompense? Severance? She was fired—”
“Wrongfully terminated,” Owen corrected, “and assaulted. I’m sure you’ll understand why she needs to pursue legal action against yourself and your business. Under Missouri law the business owner is responsible for the things that occur on his property.”
“You’re going to sue me?” Ray’s eyes shot to Tavi’s and he looked nearly apoplectic with rage.
She didn’t respond. Instead she just met his gaze steadily and let Owen do the talking. He seemed to be doing fine, and she’d never seen Ray this off balance before.
“Mr. Bunten, I believe you have experience with this particular type of lawsuit. Didn’t you have a similar situation occur in your coffee shop in St. Joe?” Owen had clearly done some research without her permission or knowledge, but she wasn’t about to question him right now.
“I–I–I that was settled out of court. The settlement is sealed,” Ray said, suddenly backing down from his initial anger.
“Yes, I’m aware. And I’m sure you’d prefer to settle this situation out of court as well. Now, we’ll wait while you obtain another check for Ms. Reid, but don’t take all day. She has places to be,” Owen said, checking his watch as though they had somewhere special to be.
Ray wasn’t gone more than a minute before he came back with a second check that he held out for Owen instead of Tavi. “Will this cover it?”
Owen considered the amount on the check for a moment, and then passed it to Tavi. “I believe that’s sufficient, but it’s ultimately up to Ms. Reid.”
Tavi glanced down to see more zeroes on the check than she’d even known Ray was worth. “Holy shit. Yeah, this is good.”
“Take it and go. Don’t bother coming back in here, Tavi. You’re no longer welcome on my property. And don’t go thinking you’ll get more money out of me either. Next time I’ll let you try and take me to court,” Ray said. She could see his fury simmering under the surface, but she forced herself to smile politely.
“Thank you, Ray. Don’t worry, you won’t be seeing me again,” she said in the sweetest honey-coated tone possible. Owen stepped aside and gestured for her to lead the way back out of the diner for the last time.
She managed to hold in her emotions until they were all in the car and seat-belted, and then she fell apart.
“Oh my God! I can’t believe that worked. I can’t believe he wrote this check! Do you think it’s really good? What if it bounces?” She rambled on through her tears, as Owen and Noah chuckled in the front seat.
“Easy, tiger. We’ll go straight to the bank now and deposit it so that he can’t put a stop on it, but I highly doubt you’ll have any trouble. He was pretty shaken up,” Owen said as he drove them down the road. “Which bank do you use?”
She gave him directions, and sat staring at the check in front of her in stunned silence. It was more money than she ever dreamed of having. It would cover her living expenses for years, plus give Sonny a healthy college fund. She didn’t know how she would ever thank Owen for helping her, but someday she’d find a way.
After the bank they returned to her place, where Owen left her under Noah’s protection so that he could get back to work. She hugged him and thanked him profusely, crying all over the front of his gray pinstripe suit.
“Honestly, Tavi, you’re welcome. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Not only was he in the wrong, but you’re part of the pack now, which means any one of us would drop everything to help you,” Owen explained.
She shook her head trying to understand. “I’ve never had any family that I could rely on. I’m not sure how to handle this.”
“You don’t have to handle anything,” Noah said, “but I’d be grateful for some lunch while we wait for Luke to get back. I was sleeping when he called this morning, so I skipped breakfast.”
Owen left her house, laughing all the way out the door as she hurried to put together a lunch for herself and Noah. It felt good to take care of him like he truly was part of her family. She supposed now that she and Luke were well and truly mated. Noah was more like her brother now.
“You have a nice place,” Noah said, taking a seat at the table.
Smiling, she handed him a tomato to slice. “Thanks. I wish I could say I own it, but that hasn’t been in the cards until now.”
“That’s the nice part about being pack. You don’t have to lay down a fortune on a new place unless you want it custom built. The pack owns the land and all of the cabins. If there’s need for a new one, they use pack funds to build it. Every member of the pack contributes a percentage of their income to the fund.” He gave her a funny look. “What? Does that bother you?”
She could feel herself frowning, but she wasn’t sure if Noah was the right person to ask her questions. Maybe it would be smarter to talk this out with Luke before she did Noah.
“No, just thinking. So, what if someone didn’t want to live with the pack?” she asked.
It was his turn to frown. “It doesn’t happen often, but if a pack member chooses to live off pack land, they have to use their own funds to buy a place. The problem with that is that they’re giving up pack protection. It’s a catch-22. Sometimes I wish for more privacy and space, but…”
“They’re your family,” she finished for him.
He nodded. “Yeah. And my responsibility. I owe the pack everything I have, so I can’t just pack up and leave them.”
“Isn’t that what your mom and Nathan are doing?”
“It’s not the same. They’ve done their time, and sacrificed for the pack. Once Betas have stepped down or retired, they have the option of doing pretty much anything they want because they don’t have to do patrols or be at meetings,” he explained.
“Does everyone have to be a Beta?”
“No, but it’s a highly coveted position. I used to think it would be my biggest life achievement. When Luke and I were kids all we ever talked about was what an honor it would be to serve our pack.” The sadness on his face broke her heart. Clearly Noah was as confused about his life’s path as she was her own.
“What would you do if you weren’t a Beta?”
He looked up, with defeat in his eyes. “It doesn’t help to play the what-if game with myself. I accepted the position, and I am going to do my damnedest to live up to it.”
The silence group between them for a moment as they were both lost in their own thoughts. She finished stacking the sandwiches and added a handful of chips to each plate before sitting down next to him. “You know, for the last decade I’ve put my own dreams aside and put my daughter first, and I don’t regret one single day of it, but now…I never imagined that I’d have the freedom to do what I wanted to do.”
“Which is?” he asked curiously.
“I used to think I wanted to be an OB-GYN, and ten years ago that was the path I was on, but my life has changed so much n
ow. I’m just not sure what I want anymore.”
“I can’t imagine what it would be like to juggle school and a kid. I have a hard time finding balance in my life already. I really like Sonny though, she’s a great kid.” He grinned up at her, and for a moment the look on his face was so much like Luke’s that she had to smile back.
Feeling genuine affection growing for her new brother, she patted his hand, and replied, “Thanks, I think she’s pretty special.”
After a few moments of silent eating, they both leaned back in their chairs with empty plates and full bellies. Noah stretched and glanced at his watch. “Luke should be here before too long. He had a short shift today. Do you mind if I stretch out on the couch for a quick nap? I have class this evening, and I know I’ll be up late with homework.”
“Sure, make yourself at home.” She rose and carried their plates to the sink.
“Thanks, Tavi, and by the way, Luke is real damn lucky to have found you and Sonny. I think you’re good for him.”
She turned back to respond, but he was already out the door, leaving her standing in the kitchen over the sink with tears in her eyes. These guys were just too much. First Luke wanting to take care of her and Sonny, and bring them to his family home, and then Owen and Noah backing her up and helping her get the recompense she deserved from Ray. It was so comforting to have people to lean on that she found herself almost uncomfortable with it.
“You’re a shame to yourself and to us. How you could throw away your life for sex and a bastard child that even the father doesn’t want is beyond comprehension. Don’t come back, you’re no daughter of ours.”
Her parents last words as they watched her walk out their front door had haunted her for over a decade, but perhaps now she might be able to find healing in a new family. She wasn’t a shame, and Sonny proved that. She’d managed to take care of herself and her daughter and provide a good life for them. Perhaps Sonny didn’t have all of the advantages that being the daughter of an upper-class socialite couple would have provided her, but she was a down-to-earth, good kid, and that was more important. Noah had just proved that with his words.