“I couldn’t tell you anything about my plan because you would have reacted differently if Rowen called or anyone else showed up. Same goes for you, VP. I had to protect all of us so if things went to shit it would fall solely on my shoulders. But I did tell Alfie, and he knows I would explain to you guys and why I had to do this part on my own. He had my back while I set things in motion. Kadence is my old lady, but I also need to put my MC first and that means I had to take steps to keep us safe. And if you must know…I had her gagged and cuffed to my bed while I was talking to you guys in the stable. Only Alfie and I knew what was happening. And Kadence wasn’t all too happy either, but I had to fucking do it. Rowen will do shit to get her back. He doesn’t care about his sister and has enough on his plate with his MC barely keeping things together. First, they had to deal with rats, the money loss, the property loss. Which I just found out is their clubhouse, so they need to relocate by the end of this month. And then the fact some of the brothers doubt his leadership, Cannon being the loudest bigmouth and the reason why he promised his sister to that motherfucker.”
“Fuck you, Colt,” Weston hisses. “I told you we couldn’t get involved. I fucking told you and you turned your back and saved her anyway.”
Roper steps closer and places his hand on Weston’s shoulder to push him slightly back and take his place to get into my face. “When you left our old ladies asked us to help search for her. They want to keep her away from her brother too. It’s why I ended up at the junkyard since it’s one of the places she knows from the lunch deliveries she helps your sister with. I did a sweep through this morning, you idiot. I noticed the extra cube of scrap metal as your sister’s car right away.”
A sigh rips from my chest. “Fine. I know how it looked, and I don’t fucking care what you might think. I damn well have my priorities straight, I don’t carry any regret and I’d do it again to keep everyone safe. I repeat…I needed all of you to give an honest reaction, then I had to check on Kadence since I had her gagged and cuffed. I was going to explain everything later, but I damn well couldn’t do it right then and there. And I ain’t going to make excuses for keeping my old lady safe…all while putting all of you first. I mentioned the gagged and–”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Weston grumbles. “Do you have that wildcat still gagged and restrained?”
“I was about to eat her pussy but you guys felt the need to come here and scold my ass before I had the chance to fill you guys in. Because I really didn’t think she would agree to be my old lady this quickly.”
“She agreed?” Roper’s eyes bulge.
Weston is giving me a smirk. “She’s up to something. I hope she cuffs and gags you in your sleep and shoves a large dildo up your ass.”
“Jeez, thanks for the well wishes. Fuckin’ awesome, Prez. Quite the imagination you have there,” I grumble and clear my throat to think of a way to turn the discussion back to the matter at hand. “Are we keeping it under wraps for now? I want her brother thinking she’s on the run and stall to let time pass long enough for him to get desperate. Then I’ll offer him money and a piece of property I bought a few months ago as an investment. I told my old lady I’ll buy her freedom and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
Weston rubs a hand over the back of his neck. “That actually sounds like something he’d jump to. It’s an easy fix and it will save his MC. But there’s only one problem.”
“I’ll end that fucking problem with a bullet if he comes near her again,” I growl, knowing exactly what Weston is thinking about.
“Maybe Rowen might end the problem himself. Cannon was the one who let those two fuckers follow him, resulting in an attack on us. Your sister, one of our club’s old ladies, was shot in the leg for fuck’s sake and you, Ledger, or Kadence could have died. Not to mention Rowen was sloppy and pulled your sister unwillingly into a damn murder witness when he took care of a rat on club grounds. Your sister being in the wrong place at the wrong time was his fucking fault. That fucker owes us,” Weston says, the anger in his words surprises me but it’s a warm welcome instead of where we were a mere moment ago.
“Are we okay?” I ask, needing to know they are aware I acted in the best interest of all of us.
“You’re going to keep her here in your cabin for at least a week before we tell the old ladies. Me, Roper, Alfie, and you will meet up tomorrow morning and discuss everything again to make sure we’re not overlooking things.”
I quickly nod in agreement. “You got it, Prez.”
“I wonder which of the old ladies will figure it out before that week is up.” Roper chuckles. “My money is on my old lady.”
“What? No way, his sister will figure it out. She’s pissed at him and will come over to chew his head off. Mayven will figure it out within three days for sure.” Weston laughs.
“Are we taking bets? What the fuck, assholes? Get the hell out of my cabin and I’ll see you guys in the morning. I have to get back to my old lady.” I grab both their leather cuts at the shoulder and give them a firm shove in the direction of the door. “Out.”
“Tomorrow, Colt,” Weston warns before he leaves.
I lock up after them and head for the bedroom. Opening the hatch, I call out for Kadence to let her know it’s safe. No need for her to stay in the bunker. My Prez and VP will make sure no one comes near my cabin so we might as well enjoy the normality of my home. I offer her my hand when she’s reached the top of the stairs.
“Are you sure it’s okay for me to–” She gasps and holds her hand close to my face. “Oh my God. What happened?”
“My Prez and VP found out before I could get them up-to-date about my plan.” I shrug and lock the hatch, turning on my heels to head for the kitchen. “I need a beer.”
“You and me both,” Kadence huffs and I hear her footsteps behind me.
I grab a bottle and pop open the cap by holding it to the edge of the counter and give a smack on my hand, making the cap flip through the air and land on the ground. Lifting it to my lips, I down a few gulps of beer before coming back up for air.
Kadence snatches the bottle from my hand, drains the rest, and places the empty bottle on the counter. “Mind sharing another one?”
I grab a beer from the fridge and open it before handing it to her.
“Mind making some food for us?” I question.
There’s a challenging twinkle in her eye but she nods. “It’s the least I can do with you helping me out.” She points at my jaw. “Need ice for that?”
“I’ve endured worse.” I shrug and grab the beer from her hands to take a few sips, placing it on the counter when I add, “Let’s go outside and grab some tomatoes and some other stuff from the vegetable garden.”
“I can go outside?” There’s vulnerability in her voice and I hate the position this strong woman is placed in.
“Yeah, doll. I have church set tomorrow bright and early to discuss everything. Weston and Roper decided to keep you being here to ourselves. It’s the safest for everyone until we’ve gained some time to take my plan to the next level. And I know you and my sister are close and you’ve helped out with her setting up her business with lunch deliveries, but let her old man help out. For now, you need to focus on yourself. And with my cabin being remote and my Prez and VP making sure no one will come around, I’d say we’re free to do what we please as long as we stay close to home.”
I wrap my fingers around her wrist and pull her along to head out back. One of the things I love about my place is the fact it has a massive garden with a wide range of vegetables. With a large freezer filled with meat I can go weeks without shopping.
While Kadence was here with my sister, I noticed she spent a lot of time in the kitchen. My sister might have been the one with the plan to start a business that delivers lunch packages, but Kadence is a valuable asset. It’s also why I’ve asked her to make dinner; to take her mind off the trouble coming at her at every turn.
“Oh. Wow. He’s gorgeous!” Her eyes bounc
e from me to Cavier. “Now I know why you’re living here and never let anyone get close. So freaking gorgeous. Look, he’s practically glowing like a pearl or silk or–” Her ramblings stop when she reaches the fence and she holds out her hand.
Cavier might have had a rough past but he’s nicer than me. And it might be the fact that I’m standing right next to her when Cavier immediately moves to get close. But when he skips me to sniff Kadence’s hand, I have to agree with him…I’d much rather have her hands on me too.
“So soft,” she murmurs with awe in her voice. “Can I ride him?”
I can’t help the smile and pride spreading my face. “Yeah. Let me get a bridle.”
It takes a few minutes but when I’m holding the rope and grab Kadence’s ankle to help her onto Cavier’s back, I get to enjoy the best of both worlds when I see my woman riding bareback on my horse.
She’s not by any means an experienced rider, but I intend to change that little fact very soon. And with her showing interest like this? Fucking perfect. And to think she’s only watched the other horses from a distance the time she’s been on the ranch. One glance at my horse changes her mind from watching to actually interacting.
When I glance up at her my chest squeezes at the sight. Her hands are stroking Cavier’s neck, eyes filled with awe, and there’s a huge damn smile on her face letting me know how much she’s enjoying something as simple as a ride on the back of a horse.
It’s similar to a careless moment we shared a few days ago when she was on the back of my bike. She threw her head back and screamed at the wind, relishing in the feel at something so fleeting as a simple ride to enjoy yourself.
It was right before Cannon lead the two rats from their MC right at us, guns blazing and coming for Kadence so they could strike at Rowen by hurting his sister. Yeah, this woman deserves happiness in huge fucking chunks. And I’m dead set to make sure she gets it.
“How old is he? And how long have you had him?” she questions.
I keep leading Cavier around the paddock as I start to tell her a bit about his background. “You might say I saved him. He was two years old and a bundle of fear. He suffered through an accident when he was in a trailer. I caught his bright blue eyes and there was some kind of understanding between us. My head is more fucked-up than his so I knew he just needed time and space to mend his demons, along with a firm but loving hand and lots of fucking patience. He just turned six a few months ago.”
“A firm but loving hand,” she muses.
“Yep, and it’s the exact thing that you need too.” I glance back to shoot her a wink and relish in the way she narrows her eyes at me.
“I’ll show you a firm hand when I get off this horse,” she grumbles.
The corner of my mouth twitches. “Then I’d better keep you on the horse, huh? Needless to say, you missed the loving part. And if I remember correctly…and I sure as fuck do because I can still vividly remember how it felt to have your nipple in my mouth…you liked the loving part.”
She completely ignores me and gives Cavier her full attention. Damn. I didn’t know it was possible, but I might be jealous of my own horse. It’s a good thing she looks magnificent right where she is or I would have to drag her off and into my bed.
Hell, I might do exactly that anyway. I bring Cavier to a stop. “Come on,” I tell her and hold out my hands to grab her waist. “Off you go.”
I shamelessly pull her against me and let her delicious body slide down mine.
“Please tell me we’re doing this again later today, or tomorrow.” The way she’s staring at me–her state of mind depending on my reply–is gut wrenching.
Like I mentioned; this woman deserves happiness in huge fucking chunks. And I’m dead set on making sure she gets it.
“Anytime, Kadence. Any. Damn. Time. If it’s a ride on my horse, my bike, hell…my cock, fingers, and face along with it: it’s all yours.”
Her throat bobs and I love the little sharp intake of breath, making her mouth part slightly. How I would love to take those lips, drag her jeans and underwear down, and impale her on my cock. But I can’t. She’s a virgin and the first woman I’ve longed for and damn well claimed as mine; she deserves more. Much more.
I step back to take off the bridle to release Cavier, quickly wrapping my fingers around Kadence’s wrist to lead her out of the pasture. I take a moment to hang the headstall before I head for the vegetable garden.
“We could make a salad,” she muses.
And when I glance back–finally able to look her in the face now that I have my cock under control again–I see her palming one of the ripe tomatoes.
“Sounds good,” I answer gruffly. “I could grill us a couple of steaks if you make the salad.”
“Sounds good,” she whispers, her voice carrying a cock-stroking tone.
The lust flowing through her eyes is something she can see mirrored in mine. My cock lengthens painfully against the zipper of my jeans and I damn well know we have to get out of here. Making dinner is a good damn start to put some space between us.
“Grab what you need,” I tell her and turn toward the house.
And I swear I hear her mutter something in the line of, “Your ass.”
But when I throw a glance over my shoulder, she’s overly busy with picking tomatoes. To say the upcoming days will be interesting is putting it mildly. This woman triggers many things inside me I never expected to explore.
Hell, by the time I had my ducks somewhat in a row I was comfortable enough living on my own at the edge of this property. Feeling complete and satisfied. I guess I was wrong. One crucial part was missing and I now know because I just found it; found her.
CHAPTER FOUR
– KADENCE –
Ten things I love about my new life. I should grab a pen and make a positive vibes list. One I should keep in my pocket to look at a few times a day to remind myself I started a new chapter. But it’s hard since the new life I started was only ten days ago and my future is still unsure.
I think that’s the only thing going on the back of my list; the downside how the issue with my brother and Cannon is still unsolved. Though, Colt keeps reminding me how each day passing is moving forward to get things settled. He’s so sure Rowen will take him up on his offer, but I don’t know.
I mean, I never expected my own brother to hand me over to one of his buddies as some kind of peace offering to settle an uprising in his MC. It’s safe to say I don’t know my brother at all. And at this point I would be happy if I never have to see him again.
Yikes, here come the bad vibes. And to think I was going to make a “things I love about my life” list. Much better to focus on the positive. Colt being one to add a silver lining for sure. And I wish I could add hot sex to my list of positive vibes, but the truth is there isn’t any.
How we collided in a heated, lustful moment in the bunker when he kidnapped me has now somehow been put on the back burner. Maybe it has something to do with me being a virgin or Colt’s need to provide my future on a silver platter before getting fully invested, whatever; I have no clue.
Colt has these unreadable moments where he seems to be locked in thoughts. As if he suffered through darkness and sometimes still gets caught in it. And I know he has from what his sister has told me and let’s face it; not many people decide to live in solitude like he has been doing for quite some years. Shit. Maybe that’s it. Me being here, disrupting his serenity puts pressure on him somehow.
Cavier slowly enters the paddock and Colt closes the gate behind him. Needing to settle my rambling thoughts, I blurt, “Has it bothered you to have someone in your space all day every day for the last ten days?”
His eyes go thoughtful. “It should. But you’re different.”
Colt heads for the cabin and I tag along behind him. When I think over the last few days, I have to admit I don’t think that he’s lying. He doesn’t seem agitated or avoiding me at every turn. He brings me out on the porch at night to enjoy the suns
et while sitting together on a crib sized swing bed in silence.
And when you’ve lived in the city for most of your life there is quite a difference. But the serenity of the sanctum he’s created at the edge of the ranch’s property is like a little slice of heaven. I haven’t missed watching TV for hours or jumping around to get things done.
Dusting or doing the dishes, sweeping the floors…it’s…shit, I can hardly say “fun to do,” but it really is. Maybe because the cabin isn’t overly big, but it might also have to do with the fact it doesn’t feel like a chore. There aren’t many items in the cabin so it also takes me less time to clean.
And when Colt is doing stuff for the ranch or the MC, either heading out or sitting at the table behind the laptop to enter information or putting the horses up for sale, it allows me the time to read. It’s a privilege to be here with him.
A tightness squeezes my chest. It’s not only a privilege but a longing too. To have this slice of heaven to last a lifetime. And yet there’s fear clawing inside my veins. All of this is almost too good to be true and I’m waiting for it to blow up in my face.
There are too many uncertainties, like the fact Colt hasn’t touched me in any way or my brother turning up to drag me to his clubhouse, or Cannon for that matter. Though, I feel Colt and I have grown close over the last couple of days. Spending many hours talking, cooking meals together, him teaching me how to ride a horse.
Cavier is going on my positive vibes list for sure. I love riding and have reached the point where Colt isn’t walking beside the horse but is giving me instructions from the middle of the paddock.
I seriously never want to leave this man or his horse. And I dread the day he’s either sick of having me around or someone bursts through that door to end the dream I’ve been living in.
“Hey, why the sad face? You did great with Cavier.” Colt turns the oven on where our previously prepared lasagna was waiting for us to bake.
Sad face? I wasn’t aware sadness entered my features. All of this is dragging me down. And I’ve never felt as powerless as I feel now and maybe it’s because of all of the uncertainties.
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