Inflame Me

by Ryan Michele

  My mother turns her head away from us, the sound of a sniffle entering the room.

  “Okay,” I say, breaking this up. She’s been through too much, and this is not helping the situation. “I need to give Mom her medicine and check her bandages. Can you give her a break?” I ask him—well, more like demand, but he doesn’t seem like the type of guy who takes to demands very well.

  “Mearna, this shit is not done.” Dagger stands from the chair just as the door to the room flies open, all of our eyes moving to the sound.

  “Dagger!” a light-brown-haired woman shrieks. “Where in the hell have you been?” she says to him.

  The woman is wearing a leather vest like the one Princess wears, but it’s her pissed off face that grabs my attention.

  “Flash, get the fuck out of here.” Dagger’s tone is impassive.

  My eyes widen as Rhys moves in the door behind the woman, his eyes intent on me then on the woman.

  “You haven’t even checked in. You always check in so I know you’re not dead.” The woman puts her hand on her hip, jutting it out in a bitch stance.

  My mother’s hand begins to tremble.

  “I don’t gotta do nothing. Get the fuck out.”

  “Who the fuck is this?” The woman’s eyes come to me and my mother, her anger radiating off her. “This your piece on the side?” I want to punch the fucking woman. Can she not see how badly my mother is beaten? What the hell is wrong with her? I rise from the bed, my mother still clutching me.

  “I’m no piece of anything,” I say as her eyes pierce into mine.

  “I didn’t ask you shit, you stupid bitch,” the woman growls, and my spine straightens.

  “Enough!” Dagger barks out.

  Rhys comes up behind me, his hand resting on my shoulder, and I feel instant comfort.

  “Bullshit, enough. That bitch talks to me, and I get the enough?” the woman—Flash is it?—doesn’t want to give up.

  Dagger moves quickly, grabbing the woman and pushing her up against the wall of the room with his forearm.

  I jump as fear takes me over. What the hell is he doing? He said he wouldn’t hurt my mother, but he’ll hurt this woman?

  “See that girl standing there?”

  Flash nods her head, her eyes wide as Dagger points to me.

  “That’s my daughter.”

  “What?” Flash says in a gasp of disbelief, but Dagger doesn’t answer.

  “That woman in the bed is the mother of my child. Now you know what the fuck is going on.” Dagger steps away from Flash, but she stays by the wall, stunned. Dagger turns to me. “Give your mom the medicine.”

  My shoulders jump, and I listen to what he says, helping my mother sit up and take the pills while the room stays silent.

  “You have a kid?” Flash asks.

  “Looks like it,” Dagger answers.

  Rhys stands there, almost feeling like a bodyguard of some sort, but surely Flash wouldn’t come after my mother or myself, would she?

  “But …”

  “No more questions!” Dagger yells, and my mother moans.

  “Cameron, stop yelling,” she says quietly.

  Flash sucks in a breath so deep it takes all the oxygen from the room. Then her eyes widen and go to Dagger. “Cameron?” she whispers, shaking her head. “No one …” She trails off.

  “No, and don’t fucking start.”

  “What’s your name?” Flash asks my mother.

  “None of your fucking business. Get out,” Dagger orders.

  “Mearna,” my mom answers softly.

  “Fucking shit,” Flash whispers, looks at Dagger, and then leaves the room in a rush. What the hell is that about?

  I turn my attention back to Mom, whose eyes are starting to glaze over. “Mom, you okay?”

  “Tired,” she answers, shutting her eyes. It takes seconds before her breathing evens out, and then she is completely out of it. Thank God.

  “Let’s let her rest,” I tell Dagger and Rhys. Dagger looks at my mom, turns, and then leaves the room. “Go ahead, Rhys. I’m going to lie with her for a while.”

  His eyes pierce mine, holding me in place. I don’t know what it is about this man, but something pulls me, and it’s scaring the shit out of me.

  “An hour. Then I’m coming to get you.”

  I try to refute his statement, but before I get one word out, he’s gone, shutting the door behind him.

  I kick off my shoes and carefully lie on the queen-sized bed next to my mother, being extra careful not to touch her. I lie on my back and stare at the brown, stained ceiling.

  What in the hell am I going to do? Mom and I need money. What she brought won’t sustain us for long. I need for Mom to get better first, though. That has to be the goal right now. Get Mom well, and then I’ll figure out where we can go and what we need to do. Everything is so up in the air right now, and I need to simply relax and let the cards lay, at least for now. In a couple of days, when Mom can stay awake for more than a few hours, we’ll talk and figure it out.

  I can’t believe I have a father. Well, I’m not stupid. I knew I had one, but you get the point. Seeing him manhandle Flash was scary as hell. It reminded me of James and the way he treated my mother. I did see a difference, though, because Dagger told the woman to leave, and she wouldn’t listen, whereas James did it for the hell of it. It still scares me. Maybe that’s why my mom left him, but if that’s the reason, then why in the hell did she stay with James? That’s the part I just don’t get. Hopefully, she’ll be able to enlighten me when her body heals a bit since the questions keep piling up.

  These past few days have worn on me. I haven’t slept much with trying to make sure my mom was all right and then worrying about when the boys were coming back and what they did.

  I allow my body to relax as I roll to my side and stare at my mom, watching her chest rise and fall softly. I allow the sounds to lull me to sleep.

  I WAKE WITH a jolt. I look around my surroundings, quickly putting together that I’m in Dagger’s room. My mother is passed out next to me as the soft hum of music beats through the door.

  I wipe my face, get up, and use the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, I wince at the purple and yellow marks on my face. Not that I’m trying to impress anyone, but why in the hell did Rhys kiss me when I look like this? I shake my head. Just the thought of his kiss has my head spinning. Was that just a kiss?

  My mother’s moans pull me out of my thoughts as I move swiftly to the bed. She is tossing, no doubt hurting herself even more than needed. Reluctantly, I hold her shoulders so she can’t turn.

  “Mom, wake up,” I tell her, feeling her muscles bunch under me. “Mom!” I say a little more loudly, and her eyes flutter open.

  “What?” she groans, her eyes half-lidded. Her body settles down, and I remove my hands.

  “Are you awake?” I ask, needing to know if I’m talking to her or if she’s sleep talking. When I was younger, my mother talked in her sleep all the time. I used to think it was hilarious. Now, not so much.

  “Yes.” Her voice is scratchy and hoarse. “I need something to drink.” She pauses. “Something warm.”

  I brush her hair away from her beautiful face, noting it looks so much worse than mine does. “I’ll get you something. Maybe they have some soup or something. You really need to eat.” I’ve been forcing her to drink, keeping fluids down her since she refused to eat in the small bouts that she’s awake, but it’s time. She needs to try something.

  “ ’Kay,” she says, her eyes fluttering shut. I’ll have to wake her when I get back.

  Since being here, Princess has showed me around the kitchen and pantry. This place keeps enough food on hand to feed an army. I still feel leery of just helping myself to whatever we need, but Princess has been nothing but kind to me, and she’s definitely a straight talker. If it was a problem that we ate here, I’m sure she would be one of the first people to say something.

  I follow the hallway lined with pictures and diff
erent plaques. With each step, the music gets a little louder. Entering the main room of the clubhouse, I see people are scattered everywhere. Some of the brothers I met before are among some others I have not. Rhys sits with his back to me, arm extended over the empty chair next to him, the cord of his muscles flexing and bunching. In the other hand, he has a beer, and he’s talking to Cruz, who sits next to him.

  I gaze over to the corner of the room where the back of my father is to me. He’s standing in front of a couch, and a woman’s hands are wrapped around his thighs. His hips are moving back and forth, and I pause in step. Holy shit is he ...? Shock fills me at the sight. Please tell me that I’m not seeing my father, the father I just met, get his penis sucked by one of those club mommas Princess told me about. This is seriously not happening.

  I force my feet to move toward the kitchen, my eyes glued to my father. However, once I see the confirmation of what I thought is happening, I jerk my head straight ahead. He is, right in the middle of the club, with people around him. I … My thoughts skip as I force myself into the large pantry where the food is stacked and search for some type of soup.

  I suck in deeply and bow my head. I can’t believe I just saw that. No child should ever have to see that, new father or not.

  Hands grip my shoulders so I can’t move, and I scream loudly enough to wake the dead.

  “Shh …” Rhys’s deep voice trembles in my ear, but my breathing doesn’t slow. This time, it is amped up by his baritone voice and light breath. His hands release me and move up and down my arm. “You all right?”

  I nod my head, trying to get myself under control.

  He pulls me flush to his hard body, and I close my eyes, enjoying the feel of him. Each sweep of his fingers on my flesh sends my body into a state of arousal that is so over the top I’m not sure how to come down or even if I want to. Not only that, but it’s comforting and secure. How this man can pull off these feelings inside me is insane. I should be running for the hills, but I can’t, don’t want to.

  “Saw a show out there?” The fizzle I felt starts to fade as the images that I don’t want to see come back. I shiver.

  He chuckles, which seems so strange for him that I turn around, seeing a small smirk on his face. I’m taken aback by it because that small change in his face completely transforms him, almost creating a whole different person. How is that possible? How can one expression turn him totally around from mean, scary, and sexy to sinful, amused, and drop-dead gorgeous? It’s like he’s two different people.

  He doesn’t allow me to process these thoughts. Instead, the smirk disappears, and heat sparks in his gaze as he crashes his lips to mine, taking my breath away for the second time tonight.

  The cut on my lip has healed enough that there is no pain, but with each movement of his lips, I feel him snag a piece of the skin. It only heightens the pleasure in the kiss.

  Rhys shifts, wrapping his steel-banded arms around me, not leaving an inch between our bodies. I’m so lost in the kiss it’s the only thing I can focus on.

  “Dammit.” Dagger’s voice from the doorway echoes through the small space.

  I pull away, feeling like a teenager getting caught by her father. Oh, wait, everything in that scenario is right except for the teenager part.

  Rhys growls, obviously pissed for the second interruption from Dagger. I’m not sure if I am or not, but one thing is for sure, father or not, he’s going to see the real Tanner O’Ryan.

  I’M SURPRISED I can’t see the steam coming out of Tanner’s ears at this point. Her body is so fucking tight, and from the way she clenches and unclenches her hands, she is itching to take out some frustrations. By the look of it, on Dagger.

  Sure, seeing your father getting sucked off by some random momma will leave someone not in the life a bit pissed off. But if she goes off halfcocked, she’ll realize quickly who her father really is, and that would fuck with both of them.

  I know I shouldn’t care, but the weird thing is, I do. I actually care that they are about to fuck up their relationship before it starts.

  “You,” she growls, turning in my arms to face Dagger.

  I tighten my grip on her, feeling in my gut that she’s planning on lunging at any time. I won’t allow that, but stopping her mouth is another obstacle.

  “What?” Dagger shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Dagger is who he is. No one, not even his little girl, is going to change that shit. I’ve been with him here in the club for twenty something years. Dagger is Dagger. She’s gonna have to learn the true him if she wants any part of him in her life.

  “How could you just get your …?” Tanner trails off, swallowing deep, then resumes. “Penis sucked in front of a group of guys?” Her arms flail in the air as she speaks. “I don’t know what’s worse: you getting a blow job in front of a group of men or the fact that it was such a normal thing not one person even gave you a second glance.” Tanner huffs as she tries to pull away from me, but I refuse to let her go.

  “I needed to get off, and that’s what they’re here for,” Dagger says, only infuriating Tanner more.

  “No wonder my mother wanted to get me away from here, away from you,” she spits out. For once in his life, Dagger looks as if Tanner just smacked him across the face with a two-by-four. I never thought I would see the day that happened. “Having sex in public while people watch, not caring one bit … She knew she was better than this garbage.”

  Dagger goes from shocked to pissed in a nanosecond, taking a step closer. Fuck.

  “Listen here. I would have given your mother—”

  “What?” Tanner jumps in. “Just like you have that Flash chick? Is she your wife, and you just come here to get your rocks off?” Tanner’s fingernails bite into the skin of my forearm, but I don’t release her. That would be one of the worst things I could do at this moment.

  I take a step back, putting the two out of arm’s reach.

  “I’m a grown-ass man; I’ll do what the hell I want, when I want. You or anyone else is gonna tell me any different,” Dagger shoots back, pointing to his chest.

  “I’m not telling you what to do. I just can’t believe my mother still loves you after knowing all of this.” Tanner’s arm flies out as she waves her arm, motioning to the clubhouse.

  “Your mother almost married a man who beat the shit out of her. I never touched a hair on that woman’s head out of anger,” Dagger fires back.

  “She never said you did. Hell, I didn’t even know you existed.”

  “Sugar, that street goes both ways.”

  Tanner lets out a huge, long breath, the muscles in her body losing some of the starch. “Look, I need to get my mom to eat something. The sooner I get her better, the sooner we’ll be gone and out of your hair.” She grabs my arm again. “Let me go.”

  I step back as she grabs the can from the shelf, turns her back, and strides out into the main kitchen.

  “Fuck me,” Dagger says, running his hand over his face. “Never in a million years seen this coming. Shit, she’s a firecracker.” He shakes his head in silent reflection. “Should have known. Mearna’s one, too.” Dagger looks almost glum, and that is not like him one bit.

  “You wanna talk about it?” I ask.

  “Nah, I’m good.” He runs his hand over his neck. “Gotta head out for a bit. Need to ride.” He leaves hastily. That’s typical Dagger, though. When shit gets tough, he rides it out. He’ll come back better.

  I stride into the kitchen, locating Tanner quickly as she sticks a bowl in the microwave, pushing the buttons to turn it on. She looks over at me, frustration written all over her face, then drops her head.

  “I shouldn’t have yelled at him.” She shakes her head, her arms resting on the counter to hold up the weight of her body. “I don’t even know the man. Why do I care?”

  “Well, you care because he’s your father. All the other shit, you’re gonna need to talk to Princess or one of the other ol’ ladies about.”

 
Her head rises just as the buzzer beeps on the microwave. She pulls it out and steps away. “I need to go help my mom.”

  I want to grab her arm as she leaves, but I’m not a dick enough to want to her hurt by the hot liquid that could spill if I do.

  I told her earlier an hour, but when I went in to get her, she was sleeping so fucking peaceful next to her mother I didn’t wake her. The worry that she seems to carry around with her all the time had been wiped from her face.

  The way she takes care of her mother, not having one selfish act with her, is unbelievable. I never had another human being give a shit about me until I joined Ravage, and the fact that Tanner gives with her whole heart … I shake my head.

  I let her sleep before, but now I’ll give her thirty minutes to get her mother sorted, and then I’m going in after her.

  I grab a beer and sidle up to the bar, taking a long swig and lighting a smoke. Breaker comes through, giving me a chin lift and walking to the pantry to grab food.

  “What’s going on?” I ask.

  “Buzz. He’s getting close to cracking the computer, so I’m getting him something to keep him going.”

  I lift my chin in response and take a pull from the bottle.

  A strong hand clamps on my shoulder. “How’s it going?” Pops asks with a wide smile.

  I’ll never forget what Pops did for me all those years ago—taking in a punk kid who had nothing and giving him more than he ever thought possible.

  “Fine.” And it is for the most part. My dick is hard as a rock, but other than that, nothing big.

  “Chasing tail?” Pops asks with a chuckle.