Irish

by Dusty Lassetter

  “Why are you being such a suck tit? We are getting the marriage annulled. Stop moping around like someone kicked your puppy.”

  “Allison.”

  Her mocking tone, along with the annoyed look she was sporting, immediately vanishes when she hears the hurt in my voice. My sister has never been my biggest fan, but she has never been this nasty toward me either. I don’t know what is causing her to be so hateful.

  “Listen, Ashley,” she mumbles while rising to her feet, “Anthony is not the one you should be mad at. Don’t hate him for a thirty-minute ceremony he doesn’t even remember. I don’t expect you to forgive me, so there is no point in apologizing. Just promise me one thing. Don’t allow mom and dad to dictate what you do with your life.”

  “What did they say?” I ask, finally putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Allison is always in a bad mood after talking to my parents. Whatever they said, or didn’t say, must have been a new low this time.

  “Don’t worry about me, sis. I’ve always been able to take care of myself,” Allison responds before leaving out of the same door Tony did. She doesn’t give me a backwards glance, probably because she was trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

  Digging my cell phone out of my pocket, I dial the number I’ve had memorized since I was nine.

  “Ashley,” my mom answers on the second ring. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you. Daddy isn’t home right now. There was an emergency at one of the bakeries. He can’t wait for you to come home so you can help with the work load.”

  “Yeah, I know, mom,” I mumble into the headset. “I just talked to Allison, and she seemed really upset. You wouldn’t be the reason for that, would you?” I’ve never had to beat around the bush with my parents. Our family has always been pretty straight forward.

  “If you’re calling to change my mind it won’t work, Ashley. I want nothing to do with that girl. She’s been bad news for quite some time. I’m just sorry it took us this long to put a stop to her coming around. She’s to blame for what happened to you, sweetie. She’s the reason you are stuck in that house with that criminal Anthony.”

  “We’ve been over this, mom. Allison…”

  “No! I won’t allow you to defend that failure of a daughter,” my mom interrupts me before I can explain that Allison had no idea about the man she was dealing with at the time.

  “If it wasn’t me, it was going to be her.”

  For the hundredth time, I remind her that she has two daughters. Tate, the man that abducted me for Slasher, was going to take one of us. It just so happened I was the better choice. Allison would’ve never mentioned me if she had known the consequences of doing so.

  “If only we were that lucky.”

  Hearing the hate in my mother’s voice as she wishes the unthinkable on my sister, her daughter, makes me finally realize this is the woman Allison’s always had to deal with. There is no reason for any human being to hate another so much, let alone a mother to hate their own child. This is the reason my sister is closed off, bitchy, and carries a chip the size of Texas around on her shoulder.

  Without uttering another word, I hang up the phone. I now see that my parents only tolerated Allison for me, and they suddenly have a false sense of hope that I will hate her just like they do. It’s too bad they never counted on the bond we have. It’s not as strong as most twins, and now I know why. Just how close can me and my sister become without my parents driving a wedge between us?

  Ashley

  It took several days of me thinking about Serenity’s advice before I came to a conclusion on what I should do. I chose tonight, of all nights, to pursue the future I want because the tension that has been smothering the clubhouse is being pushed aside for now. Buck is throwing a small celebration for his daughter Serenity, and future son-in-law Taz. Apparently, Taz has done the unthinkable, and put a ring on his, much deserving, woman’s finger. Seeing how happy my new friend is, helps me decide to make the adjustments in my life that will allow me to feel the same bliss. Now that Allison and I have agreed to start working on our relationship, I need to find the next person on my list to make up with.

  Thankfully, the President of Tarnished Souls MC decided to keep the gathering small. Looking around, all I see are a handful of people I don’t know, and several I do. A man I have never seen before, catches my attention before anyone else does. He looks like a giant, and that is quite a statement considering the size of the men I am comparing him to. Taz and Teller are not small by any means, but compared to him they almost look fun-size.

  “Who is that?”

  I look at Rebecca, knowing she would be the one in our small group to know. Scarlett sticks to herself more than I do, and Sammy is always busy with motherhood. When Rebecca finally turns her head to see to who I am talking about, a large grin spreads across her face.

  “That is Brice. He’s the president of the Austin chapter. You need to meet him,” she orders while grabbing a hold of my hand. I allow Rebecca to lead me through the main room of the clubhouse, and past the bar lined with celebratory shots, without putting up a fight. I even manage to keep from spilling the drink I had to convince the bartender to make for me. Hammer should go back to tattooing people. He just doesn’t have the right attitude for bartending. I wonder if Irish told him not to serve me?

  “Brice,” Rebecca calls out to get the big guy’s attention as we close the distance between us.

  “Rebecca, you are a sight for sore eyes,” he politely states.

  “This is Ashley,” Rebecca states once she’s able to control the smile stretching across her face. I had thought she was hung up on Mr. Stingy himself, Hammer, but I’m starting to think I might have been wrong.

  “I’m Brice, but some people around here call me Big Country. You can choose which one you prefer.”

  “How big are you?”

  Before I can stop it, the embarrassing word vomit is already out of my mouth and ringing in his ears. I slap my hand over my traitorous lips, trying to keep myself from asking another stupid question. I meant to ask him how tall he was. Instead, the word big came flying out of my mouth before I could stop it. Making me sound like a pervert.

  “Do you ask every man you meet that?”

  “No, I usually wait until the end of the night,” I joke once he gives me a look that says I have no reason to be embarrassed. It’s then I realize what I’ve left myself open for.

  “Come find me at the end of the night and I’ll show you how big I am.”

  “Oh snap…” Rebecca whispers, causing the grin pulling at this dirty country boy’s lips to triple in size. The two dimples in his cheeks make him look innocent, but the gleam in his eyes tells me everything I need to know. Big Country is a big freak. I’d be willing to bet my entire checking account on that being true.

  “Brice!”

  Thankfully, someone else hollers for the young president to meet them at the bar. The way he purposely turns his hips in my direction, before walking between Rebecca and I, forces my eyes to zero in on the belt buckle on his pants. Okay, so I’m lying to myself. My eyes may have been studying another bulge elsewhere.

  “So that went better than planned,” Rebecca finally giggles.

  “What do you mean, better than planned?” I ask once I’ve shaken the cob webs from my brain. I turn to the little vixen standing beside me, currently smiling like the cat that ate the cream. “Rebecca?”

  “What?” She replies in a blameless tone, “I was just trying to help. You and Irish have been tip-toeing around this blurry line between love and hate, and I thought you could use a push in the right direction.”

  “How is dragging me to talk to a strange man considered to be a push in the right direction with Tony?”

  “I’m not pushing you, silly. It’s the big angry Irish man I’m goading.” She informs me before turning around to hightail it away. I don’t have time to stop her before I feel the sensation of hot breath hitting my ear, followed by
the sound of the furious man himself. “Did you just eye fuck another man?”

  Tony is livid. His harsh tone sends shivers down my spine. When he gets this way, that Irish accent I love so much comes bleeding through every one of his words. Fuck sounds more like fook, and another sounds more like anotter. I want to turn around to look him in the eyes, but there is something sexy about the way he is leaning over me to speak directly into my ear. Every one of his exhales are tickling the side of my neck. Sending a bubbling zing of energy rushing through my blood stream.

  “Maybe.”

  At this point, I know I am poking the already irritated bear with a very pointy stick, but there is a tiny voice telling me to see just how jealous we can make Tony. Playing hard to get was Serenity’s advice to make him suffer a little for our past. The old Anthony would’ve gone ballistic if I so much as joked about the possibility of me screwing another man. However, he insists he’s a new man. Irish is supposed to be a better version of the man I knew and loved. It’s my job to find out just how different he is.

  “Don’t play games with me, Ashley. It’s not in his best interest for you to be coy.”

  “Who’s playing?”

  When he grabs me by the hip, digging his fingers in just enough to keep me from moving, I bite the inside of my mouth to keep from smiling. This is the Tony I remember. The green eyed monster that would breathe fire if I so much as blinked at another man. He looks me up and down. I can sense eyes trailing up my bare legs, causing me to squirm in the short dress I chose to wear.

  “Do you want to fuck him?”

  Six little words that require one simple answer. I could end any chance of him and I figuring out what we are with my response. A part of me wants to say yes because I still feel vindictive towards him and Allison, but there is a larger part of me that still loves this man more than he deserves.

  “Answer me?” Irish’s tone is growing more impatient so I finally decide to force the jealous beast back into its cage.

  “No.”

  Instantly, the hard muscles brushing against my body relax. Letting me know he is relieved to hear my reply. I start to feel a little claustrophobic with him at my back, but quickly shove those emotions back in the “I don’t think so” box. It’s something I’ve been doing lately. Whenever I start to feel triggered by something, I just open that box and compress my anxieties deep down in there. I will not allow Slasher to ruin me.

  “Follow me,” Tony orders, taking my glass before leading me to a secluded corner in the room. I like that he isn’t trying to get me alone. As long as we are out here with other people there will be no funny business to get in the way of us talking, and a conversation is definitely needed.

  “Look at me,” he mumbles, placing my back against the wall. With me perched in the corner, he easily places his hands on both sides of the wall beside my head. The new position gives us enough privacy to talk while still being able to keep up with everyone else at the party. Doing as he instructed, I look into his brown eyes which shimmer with tiny specks of green, and bite the same spot on the inside of my cheek as earlier.

  “What are you doing, Ashley?”

  “I wasn’t aware I needed your permission to talk to someone.”

  I stop biting the inside of my cheek because the fact that he is questioning me like a child is ruffling my feathers. The challenge in my eyes is also written all over my face. The drink I had earlier was more than enough to relax my nerves and my tongue. I suppose everything I’ve kept suppressed is about to come spewing out of my mouth like water does a hose.

  When Tony doesn’t say anything after I’ve purposely tried to provoke him, I try one last time to get a reaction. “Where’s Allison?”

  I regret the words as soon as they are out of my mouth. This is not what was supposed to happen. I had thought Tony and I could talk tonight and try to figure out if we could get past everything we’ve been through. Why am I sabotaging my own plan?

  “Keeping me bed warm.”

  “You’re a dick,” I growl.

  I guess my attitude has come back to bite me in the ass. Tony’s not just absorbing my bitterness like he’s been doing since I got back to the compound. He’s throwing it right back at me.

  “And you are a bitch.”

  “Excuse me! I was minding my own business when you came…”

  “Shut the fuck up,” he orders. “ I’ve watched your mouth do too much talkin’ when it should be doin’ somethin’ else.”

  I’m stunned silent. I guess Tony has changed, but not for the better. The man I used to know would never have talked to me like this. I try to shove him out of my way, but the big burly bastard doesn’t so much as move an inch. His boots are planted firmly to the floor and have no intention of moving until he’s ready.

  “Stop tryin’ to make me out to be the asshole you need me to be. I’ve not only apologized for me mistakes, Ashley. I’ve begged you to forgive them. You keep nagging at me hoping I will prove to not be worth your time. This is it. I’m done trying to convince you to give me another chance, but if you fuck another one of the members of this club I will kill him.”

  His words ring nothing but truth. Tony is right. I have been trying to push him away with hate, but not because I want him to be an asshole. Deep down, I needed him to prove that he wouldn’t run off and break my heart again because I hurt his feelings. I know when I turned down his proposal he took it as a betrayal. To him my actions spoke louder than my words. When I said I loved him, but refused to marry him, he was hurt.

  “Tony,” I say his name while reaching my hand toward his handsome face. The feeling of his scratchy stubble is familiar as I cup his dominant jaw in my open palm. The rush of emotions I felt when he said he was done is enough to force me to open my heart again. I do love this man with everything I am, and the thought of actually losing him is scary. He’s made mistakes, I’ve made mistakes, but hopefully we have been through enough these past two years to realize we need one another.

  “I only want you,” I whisper.

  “Then I am yours, and you are mine,” he growls leaning in to place a sweet kiss to my lips. I savor the feeling of his rough lips on mine for the short time he leaves them there, but all too quickly, Tony pulls away.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “Absolutely nothing, let’s go get a drink.”

  I can see the concern lining his face as he stares down at me. It’s then I remember what happened the last time he had me pinned to a wall. With a new sense of understanding, I nod my head in agreeance. A drink would help me relax some more.

  When we make it to the crowded bar, I don’t have to force Hammer to give me alcohol this time. He acknowledges Irish beside me before sliding a cream-colored mixed drink in my direction. I immediately know what it is just by the sight and smell.

  “Really?” I ask Hammer before he can scurry away.

  “What?” He jokes, shrugging his shoulder like he’s innocent. “You look like you need a screaming orgasm.”

  “Ha Ha Ha, very funny.”

  “Someone is being bitchy tonight,” Hammer says while looking at Tony.

  “I said the same thing, brother.”

  “Hey,” I shout out before slapping Tony in the chest with the back on my hand. The smile on his face makes it impossible to keep pretending I’m offended, especially when he’s looking at me the way he is right now. Taking a lengthy drink from his beer, Tony then places the now empty glass bottle on the bar’s wooden surface.

  “Hammer, turn the music up,” Tony commands, popping a toothpick into his mouth and wiggling it to the side where it will stay before grabbing a hold of my hand. Leaving my half drunken orgasm where it sits, I gladly follow the charismatic Irish man to the middle of the room. If there is one thing I remember about Tony, it’s how well he can move across the dance floor.

  Irish

  The one thing Ashley and Allison share, other than looks, is their love for dancing. However, unlike her sister, Ashley wou
ld never do it on a pole surrounded by men while ripping her clothes off. Leading my girl to the middle of the room, Nine Inch Nails’ best song starts rumbling through the speakers placed in every corner of the room. Ashley immediately starts moving her body to the beat of the intro music. She teases me with tiny rolls of her hips until the lead vocalist starts singing.

  I wanna fuck you like an animal.

  I wanna feel you from the inside.

  I wanna fuck you like an animal.

  My whole existence is flawed.

  You get me closer to God…

  The moment she places her hands on the inner part of her thighs, popping her ass out in invitation, I close the space between us. I dig my fingers into the material of her dress just above her hips to show her I am the one in control now before matching her dancing style perfectly. The way I move my hips and lightly blow on the back of her neck is meant to make her think of only one thing, and judging by the way Ashley is moving closer to me, I can honestly say she is picturing exactly what I want her to.

  “You remember the time I had you bent over the back of my bike. Anyone could have walked out of that club and saw me fucking you?”

  “I remember. I lost a bet.”

  “I do believe you were the true winner by the end of the night.”

  The sudden intake of breath tells me she is remembering exactly what happened. I’m not sure if it was the thrill of getting caught, or if I was just on my game that night, either way, Ashley enjoyed herself multiple times.

  “Care to make another bet?” I inquire, as Ashley turns around so she can hear everything I am saying. Putting my hand on the small of her back, I pull her close and fit my thigh between her legs.

  “Depends,” she mumbles, running one of her fingers up my chest. “What are the stakes and what are we betting on?”

  “Strip poker. The winner gets to choose what happens once the loser is determined.”

  Her agreeing to this is a long shot, but I’m hoping that the girl I fell in love with is still there. She may be hidden beneath some of her latest tragedies, but I can’t give up on the belief that she still exists.