Bash rolled over and looked at me, and I stretched with my front legs straight, playful, but then collapsed beside him and cuddled. He nuzzled me with his nose, and I let him. It wasn’t kissing, but it was affectionate. My mom had done it when I’d first changed.
As much as I’d have liked to stay in wolf form, I knew we had to change back, let the other half of us have control. Bash and I ran back to our clothes with no detours, and he changed first, then climbed up into the tree for our clothes. The human in me didn’t want him to see me naked, and he seemed to understand because he quickly dressed and walked far enough away to give me some privacy.
I imagined myself as human, but my wolf didn’t want to let go. I hadn’t had problems shifting back in so long, I couldn’t remember. A decade, at least. I took a few breaths, soothed the wolf, and brought my human to the surface until she dominated the wolf and I could finally take my human form back.
I took a few moments to flex my hands and find my balance on two legs again. I’d sunk so far into the wolf, it took me a little longer to come back to human.
I dressed, finger-combed my hair into a ponytail, and walked towards Bash’s scent.
His eyes were a little closed, cautious, and he asked, “We okay, Princess?”
I couldn’t stand that look in his eyes, so I threw my arms around his neck, and then thought perhaps that was the wrong message. It was too late, though, so I said, “If we don’t talk about it, can we just pretend it didn’t happen?”
“It happened, Princess.” His voice was low, soft, but there was iron steel under it, letting me know I wasn’t going to brush it off as if it were nothing. His hands rested on my lower back as he held me, though not tightly.
“Yeah, I know, but I’m not sure I can deal with it right now. I mean, we were our wolves, not us, and… shit. Fuck. I don’t know, Bash.” I didn’t let go of his neck, but found myself holding on tighter. “If you have something to say about it, can you do it now, get it over with, and then we can agree not to talk about it for a while? Until I figure out what to say?”
“And if I don’t know what to say now, and figure it out in a few days?” he asked.
“I don’t have any answers, I just know I don’t want it to fuck up our friendship.”
Bash sank to the ground, adjusting me so I sat sideways in his lap, my head still on his shoulder, arms still around his neck. I left one arm up, but let the other drop, and kept my head on the front of his shoulder.
“Couple of things I want to talk about,” he said, his voice matter-of-fact, “may as well cover all the uncomfortable stuff now, get it out of the way so we can enjoy our breakfast in a little bit.”
I nodded, unsure of where he was going, but in agreement about getting the difficult stuff out of the way so we could go eat.
“You said sex got rough with Pickering. Define rough.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
I chuckled and snuggled into him a little closer, though we were already skin to skin. “Sorry Bash, it isn’t really any of your business, and I shouldn’t have even told you about the rough part.” I took a breath. “I signed a non-disclosure agreement, so I can’t tell you about any of it.”
His body went motionless for a handful of seconds, and then he said, “Okay then, I’ll talk and you listen. I know you saw some stuff you probably shouldn’t have as a child and teen. I don’t like the idea of you letting someone spank you, or use you rough, but if it gets you off then I get it, even if I want you to still be my innocent little Princess.”
His voice went soft, gentle. “Guys who like leaving bruises usually enjoy looking at them. I appreciate you changing, whether it was for me or because of not wanting to ride with bruises, but you’ll need to wait five or six days to let him see you naked again, or he’ll know something isn’t right.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything. Bash didn’t let the uncomfortable silence go long. “You’re a wolf and he’s human, so don’t you dare ever let him hurt you beyond what you want, got it? And if he gets carried away and you have to hurt or kill him? Keep your head on straight and then call me, so I can help you get rid of the evidence.”
It didn’t escape my notice that my dad and Bash had both said something similar, but I told Bash, “You have to know he’s untouchable, right? He’s the elected District Attorney. If he goes missing it’ll be a shitstorm. If my mom hadn’t died, the shitstorm for Sloane would’ve been a lot worse, but nothing compared to what it’ll be if Thomas vanishes. I understand a cop went missing here a while back and the club is implicated. Plus, if you and I are involved in another disappearance, all the Sloane stuff will come back.”
“I never got a chance to thank you, for…” His voice trailed off, and I wasn’t sure what the hell he was talking about. He’d rescued me, why would he need to thank me?
Before I could ask, he continued, “When you saw him, saw what I’d done, I expected you to look at me in horror, but I could only see the gratitude in your eyes. His skull was caved in, his face no longer recognizable as human, and you didn’t look at me like a monster. It was… important, Princess. So, thanks.”
“You aren’t a monster, Bash. You were my protector, my teacher when it came to my car, and I’ve always loved the way you handled your bike. You were more than my latest prospect bitch, you became my friend.” I took a breath. “And then, you took care of me in those days after Mom died and before ya’ll could contact Dad and get him home.”
I’d always wondered what club business he’d been on, to have been out of touch for so long, but no one had ever told me.
“And then you got patched in and I lost you. Dad drove me around for months, until my birthday and I could drive myself. I guess he focused on me to keep from doing something stupid after losing Mom, but… shit, Bash. It was a bad time, and I’m glad you were there. I just wished you could’ve been there longer.”
“Okay, Princess. We’re good. It’s all good. We can wait a little bit to talk about last night.” He stood with me in his arms, and then put me down, making sure my feet were under me and I had my balance before he let me go.
I reached up, ran my fingers through his beard. It’d been trimmed before, but was longer and scruffier after coming back from his wolf. “You look a little more like you used to, with it longer, but it looks good trimmed. Gives you more of an edge.” I smirked. “Not that you need more of an edge.”
We walked towards the bike in companionable silence a few moments before Bash said, “I know your dad made arrangements for you to run with the Pack while you were in school, which only worked because you were in town for a finite amount of town. Are you going to run with us, or go home and run with your dad?”
“I’m gonna run with Dad on the third night this month, but I haven’t made any decisions beyond that. I’m considering talking to Randall. I really enjoyed spending time with the Pack up north.”
“You considering joining?”
I shook my head. “Considering is too strong of a word. Dad got Randall’s permission for me to live here as a lone wolf, but I’m still going to ask for a meeting with him in a week or two, feel him out for how he’ll feel about my joining, and see if he’ll let me run with them a few months before making a decision.”
Chapter Fourteen
Bash
I took a different, longer route home, so by the time we had breakfast and then got back into town, it was two in the afternoon. I wanted her arms wrapped around me as long as possible while we moved in time with the bike, the road, and each other.
I parked my bike beside hers in the parking space, so I didn’t have to park in the public lot down the street, as most visitors to her complex had to.
I didn’t want the awkwardness of walking her to her door, so I intended to just let her get off and then head on my way, but she insisted I take my helmet off and give her a hug, so I shut the engine down and got off. I saw the DA approaching us in mid-hug, and I sighed, as I knew t
his was about to get uncomfortable for Angelica.
“So,” Pickering said as he neared, “you were with me one night, the biker the next?”
I rolled my eyes and told him, “We spent the night in the woods last night, Pickering. Whatever you’re assuming, I can guarantee it isn’t what happened. I’ve ridden her on the back of my bike since she was fifteen, and I was one of the men her father brought on board to make sure his little angel stayed a virgin, so it was my job to run all the little boys away from her.”
She laughed, her eyes dancing as she looked at Pickering. “Yeah, though I think he had maybe a little too much fun doing it. Seriously, Thomas, you can’t get jealous of my friends. I know you don’t approve, but if you can’t deal with the fact I’m friends with some of the RTMC, we’re not going to work.”
I took this as my opportunity to leave, and I put my helmet back on. “Talk to you later, Princess.” I eyed Pickering, then looked back to her. “If you need anything, I’m just a call or text away.”
I swung my leg over the bike and started it before she had a chance to respond, and she moved Pickering out of the way so I had room to speed away. I can make quite an exit on my bike.
Chapter Fifteen
Angelica
Thomas eyed my motorcycle leathers and helmet, and said, “It’s easy enough for you to morph into one of them, I see.”
I sighed as I walked towards my apartment. “Follow me if you want to talk, but I’m not doing this in the parking lot.”
He followed and I explained as we walked, “If you take a spill on a motorcycle, you want something protective between you and the asphalt, and leather is about as protective as you can get without going to the latest tech fabrics designed to hold up against the road. They cost more than double what we pay for good quality leather, though, so most of us stick with the tried and true.” He didn’t say anything, and I added, “It isn’t just a look, Thomas. It’s about safety. The heavy boots protect your feet during a spill, and protect your calves from getting burned on the pipes. The leather pants and jacket keep my skin where it’s supposed to be, keeps the pavement from taking it off in the event of a crash.”
“I see people in jeans and no jacket all the time on motorcycles.”
“The same people who likely wouldn’t wear a helmet unless it was the law. I’ve been known to wear jeans and a tank when I ride around town, but Bash and I were in the mountains, pushing the limit of what his bike can do. He and my dad are the only two people I trust to ride me like that, but even with them, I wear leathers.”
I stopped at the steps leading up to my place, remembering what Bash had said about the bruises.
“I’m tired, Thomas. Bash was telling the truth when he said we slept in the woods last night. I’m going to go in, soak in the tub, and then do some prep for work tomorrow.”
“I stayed in town because I was hoping to spend some time with you. You didn’t respond to my texts, and your car and motorcycle were here, but you weren’t.”
“My phone’s in the backpack. I’m sorry, I didn’t even look at it.” I sighed, ran my hand to the back of my head, but changed my mind about releasing the ponytail. My hair would be wild, and I wasn’t wearing any makeup at all. We come back from the change au naturel.
I turned around and sat on the second step gingerly, as if I were still bruised. “The bitch of it is, I really like you, Thomas. I’m just not sure I can be with someone who can’t see my friends and family for who they are on the inside, and wants to judge them based on stupid stereotypes.”
He sat beside me, but not too close. “I did a little research today, hoping I’d find out your guys aren’t as bad as I originally thought.”
My shoulders slumped, because I knew how they looked on paper.
“An officer who had dated Duke’s wife went missing. Gone. No one has any idea what happened to him. And, speaking of people who’ve gone missing, Bash and Brain were implicated in one of your guys going missing.”
“Sloane wasn’t my guy. He asked me to sneak out with him, Brain showed up and spoiled our plans, and I studied chemistry with Brain all afternoon… while my mother died in a car wreck.”
“Yeah, I read about that, too. I’m sorry, Angelica. It must’ve been terrible.”
“My dad had gone on a camping trip and was off the grid, and Bash and Brain were there for me for the few days it took for them to find him and get him home. I’m sorry if you don’t like them, but they’re important to me.”
“Did you know Bash is in charge of their prostitutes? He’s the MC pimp.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t even know the club had prostitutes. I keep telling you, I’m never told anything about club business. And, just because you say it’s so, doesn’t mean it is.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“It isn’t about believing you, it’s about believing whoever told you. I know they aren’t saints, but saying they’re pimps is just…” I shook my head. “I’m going inside, now. I had a lot of fun Friday night, but I’m beginning to think maybe we’re starting out too far apart, if we’re having to fight this hard to find common ground before we even get started.”
“I’m sorry. I really like you, too. Will you have dinner with me one day this week? Nothing after, just dinner and then I’ll take you home. Conversation and nothing else.”
“Maybe.” I gave him a smile, though I didn’t feel it. “I’m tired and grumpy right now. Ask me again in a few days. Okay?”
Chapter Sixteen
Bash
I’d had Saturday night off, a rarity for me, but I’d asked for it and Duke had made it happen. It just figured the cops would do a sting while I was gone.
Thankfully, everyone had been trained in what to say, and what not to say, and none of the charges were gonna stick. Still, I had to wonder if Angelica dating the DA hadn’t brought this down on our heads.
I pulled everyone in the division in for a meeting, heard the full story, discussed our options, and the room was in agreement we needed to lay low tonight and get started again tomorrow night. Starting back the very next night pisses the cops off, and it behooved us to at least pretend to try to get along. Slick would contact those with appointments, and if any johns wanted to spring for a room somewhere else on top of the normal fees, he’d hook them up with someone.
Before I let everyone go, I announced, “Two of you can earn some money from me tonight. I’m in the mood to dish out pain, and I’ll pay for it. If you’re interested, come to my office. If more than two show up, I’ll decide who I want.”
I smiled as Betty walked in. I’m not close to any of the girls, but I make it no secret Betty Boop’s ass is my favorite. Jayde and Belinda walked in at the same time, and I said, “Jayde stays. Looks like I’ve got my two. If you wanna be on the outcall list, Belinda, let Slick know.”
I looked to Betty and Jayde. “Ya’ll meet me in room eight — get naked and get your asses lubed, so I don’t have to mess with doin’ it. I need to stop off at my bike.”
I grabbed the coil of rope from my saddlebags on the way, planning all the things I intended to do to the two who’d volunteered.
They were both nude when I walked into the room, and I watched their faces follow the rope as I tossed it on the bed. “I can get all the free mouth, ass, and pussy I want at the clubhouse. Usually, when I pay for it here it’s because it’s handy and I don’t want to wait. Tonight, I’m payin’ ya’ll ‘cause I want to hurt someone, want to make them scream, and maybe even cry real tears. Give me a number, girls. Whatever I pay is all yours. The RTMC won’t take a cut.”
Jayde gave me a number, but Betty asked, “Hurt us with what?”
“Cock, hand, fingers, belt. Maybe some teeth. No fists, no lasting damage. Nothing more than bruises, and I only intend to hit your ass, thighs, and tits.”
I smelled their fear, and my cock pulsed in my jeans. I added a hundred to Jayde’s number, told them they both got that amount.
Betty shook
her head. “I need another hundred over that.”
“How about we stick with the number we’re at, and I’ll pay a tip at the end, based on how happy ya’ll make me.”
“Works for me,” Jayde said with a smile.
Betty looked at Jayde a few seconds and asked, “Has he ever used his belt on you?”
She shook her head. “He’s tied me up and used his hand.”
Betty looked at me, expecting me to clarify things for Jayde, and I said, “She’s a professional. I’ve warned there’ll be screaming and crying. She’s played with me before and knows I don’t hand out pussy safewords. I won’t injure either of you, it’ll just hurt. It isn’t even a matter of trust — the club protects you, and you know you have that backing. Duke would take me apart if I got carried away and injured one of you. If you aren’t interested, though, I can call Belinda back in.”
“Okay,” she sighed. “I’ll take the deal, with the promise of a tip for good performance.”
I put them on opposite sides of the bed, leaned forward with their feet on the floor, and tied their wrists together and to each other.
Jayde was taking it in stride, but Betty was anxious. Not scared so much as fretful, restless, agitated.
And aroused, which was one of the reasons I liked doing her. She’d chosen a job she loved, and she put her heart into it. She’d felt my belt before and knew how bad it was going to hurt, but she still wanted to please me.
Jayde was doing it for money, as a way out until she could better herself. It was a job, and she was a professional. She didn’t hate it, but she’d be happy when she wasn’t doing it anymore.
I sat on the chair and unlaced my boots, taking my time. I had them for two hours, and they could sit and stew a few minutes.
Their eyes followed me as I stood, took my shirt off, and dropped it on the chair behind me.
Bash, Volume I (Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club Book 3) Page 10