by K E Osborn
He pulls one boot off, then the other. His large hands move back in taking my foot in his hands, pressing in the under soles. I clench my eyes shut enjoying his strong touch and the power he holds over me. His fingers slide between my toes, pressing in the valley between my big and second toe.
What is he doing?
Suddenly, my headache starts to ease.
Not a lot, just slightly.
Relief washes over me as tension leaves my body. Wraith has so many layers to him I want to unwrap. Knowing how to ease a headache with just a simple touch should surprise me, but honestly, it doesn’t. I’ve learned not to be surprised by Wraith anymore. Because every time I think I have him worked out, another facet of him appears, shocking me.
“I forgot how much I love your hands on me,” I mumble before I can stop myself.
His hands halt their movements instantly, and my eyes shoot open.
His eyes are darker, hooded, more intense.
I know that look.
His Adam’s apple bobs up and down as he slowly let’s go of me. “You need to rest. Why don’t you lay back, have a nap? I’ll come get you when I know more.”
I want to be out there helping. Even though his magic hands helped some with my headache, it’s still not gone completely. I know I need to take a moment to be with my own thoughts. I scoot up the bed, lying down and cuddle into the pillow. With gentleness, he pulls up the blanket, laying it over me as I reach out grabbing his hand.
He halts his movements.
“Wraith?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. Thanks for coming to find me.”
“No matter what kind of fucked-up situation we’re in, Prinie… biker wars, your brother denying us, him going to jail, no matter what… in the end, I’ll always find you.” His hand detaches from mine, then he swipes a stray strand of hair away from my face. I move to press my cheek into his palm, but as quickly as his hand is there, he takes it away, turning for the door without saying another word.
I get it.
Zero made it crystal clear neither of us could act on the way we feel. Honestly, the way we were both behaving at the time I wasn’t sure about the way he felt, but now—now I think I do.
Wraith still cares about me just like I care about him.
So where does that leave us?
With quick steps, he walks out my door, closing it softly behind him. Wraith may have left the room, but his presence lingers. His touch. His smell. He’s everywhere, and there’s one thing I know for sure, Wraith will fight through Hell to get my brother back to us.
But when Zero returns, where does that leave Wraith and me?
Back at square fucking one.
Maybe it was easier hating him.
WRAITH
Walking out of Prinie’s room, I’m fucking anxious. Seeing her so damn vulnerable had my inner addiction itching, screaming at me. I’m so fucking sick, it kills me. The second she talked about having my hands on her I was done for, and I knew I had to leave.
Prinie is my weakness.
She brings me to life but also sends that part of me deeper into the darkness than I want to admit. It’s a constant battle being around her. Trying to keep my demons buried under the surface, so they don’t claw their way out. So, they don’t wrap their taloned fingers around her perfectly breakable neck.
Groaning, I subtly rearrange my hardening cock in my jeans at the thought of my hands around her throat, gripping it tighter as she gasps for breaths.
I need to go back to therapy.
Or maybe I need a fucking bullet to the head.
Either way, being around Prinie is dangerous.
I care about her too deeply to let what went down between us a year ago happen again.
I want to use my sexual preferences so bad, but it raged beyond control that night.
There’s no denying it.
I don’t want to fucking accidentally kill her, so I can’t be near her.
I am more than capable of harming her, this I know, my mother being a prime example, but I don’t trust myself around someone I have feelings for.
My thirst for choking the life out of someone is still there, but Prinie brings out something better in me. Obviously, she awakens that beast in me, and fuck if it isn’t hard to control myself around her, but times like right now, when she’s vulnerable and weak, it does something to me, and I never, ever want to witness her in pain.
Physical or mental.
I want to wrap my hands around her neck basking in the life that drains from her eyes for my sexual gratification, hearing the harmonious chorus of her gasping for air. But to see her in pain, actual gut-wrenching pain—no, that doesn’t sit well with me.
How fucked up does that sound?
No, what happened with us a year ago was something else. My addiction kicked in for some reason. Seeing her gorgeous neck out and proud, so beautifully on show, it’s like I lost myself in my past. I didn’t even realize I was still fucking her when I finally came to and realized what I was doing.
The red haze took over.
The overwhelming desire to do harm.
The need to take a life took hold.
I lost control.
I’m not proud of my actions that night.
Or for the days which followed.
Inevitably, I held a part in why Prinie took Koda and hightailed it the hell out and away from the club.
When I found out she’d left, part of me was fucking happy. Happy all the bickering would end—that the temptation was over—but then concern reared its ugly head. If I had trouble staying away from her, other predators might too, and that raised my hackles. I wanted more than anything to go after her, but that would’ve been obvious to Zero.
At the time, I was happy Zero sent Phantom. Though, that may backfire on me now because they’re developing a bond—one I don’t want to be here to witness.
Walking to the top of the stairs, I turn to back facing Prinie’s door. “Damn troublemaker, that girl,” I mumble, then traipse down the stairs into the main clubroom.
As I enter, all eyes fall to me.
I’m the interim president.
It’s my job now to get this shit under control
Fuck.
Walking over to Cherry, who’s being comforted by our club girl, Ruby, I grab either side of my cut in an attempt to try and command authority.
“Cherry, I understand you must be feeling crazy right now—”
“Crazy? That’s the word you lead with, Wraith? My man’s been taken to the police station, being charged with kidnapping me, and yet I’m right here willingly! Surely, that has to count for something?”
Neon steps up to my side. “It does… aaannnddd it doesn’t.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means in any other normal circumstance that would say a lot, your defense and testimony would hold up. But, I’m sure the Baron will work the system, so you don’t get a say in any of this. Hell, he will probably have your name redacted in every part of the deposition stating legalities and safety reasons from the rest of us low-life thugs.”
She scoffs. “You saying I won’t have my day in court? This whole thing is about me!”
“Cherry, this whole thing is about Zero playing the Baron for a fool. It’s got nothing to do with you. If it did, you’d have been carted away with those cops for putting a bullet between Chuck’s eyes. You killed the Baron’s son, Cherry, in front of him, and he hasn’t come after you. If the heat didn’t pick you up at the same time as Zero, they’re not gonna. No, this is all to get back at Zero for playing the Baron like a fiddle.”
“Zero told me if you get on the Baron’s bad side, there’s no way to win.”
Cracking my neck to the side, I exhale. She’s right. I don’t know many, if any, who have come away the victor with the Baron.
I need to play this one smart.
Usually, I take all my leads from Zero.
But now, everyone will be
looking to me.
Time to stand on my own two feet.
I need to push my demons back and step up, be a man, not a beast.
“Zero may have gotten on his bad side, but we can manipulate the system just as well as he can. The Baron believes he holds all the power in Houston. Well, I have news for him because Defiance has connections, too.”
Neon steps to my side. “They’re taking Zero in for booking. I’m assuming they’ll process him for an arraignment.”
“Right, we need to find an attorney. A fucking good one. Real fast.”
Neon swipes the screen of his device. “On it.”
Cherry’s eyes convey how fucking wrecked I feel. “He’s able to protect himself in there, right?”
I reach out, placing my hand on her shoulder. “I just had this chat with Prinie. Wherever they send him, I’m gonna make sure there’s someone on the inside who has his back. We know people from all walks of life all over Houston. No matter where they send him, we’re bound to have a support system in place for him quickly. But you know, he’s a six-foot-two, hulk of a man, covered in tattoos. Not many assholes are gonna wanna come near him. He has a name here in Houston. He’ll be respected, Cherry. Don’t you worry about that.”
“Should we go to the police station to support him?”
I scoff out a laugh. “Me and the boys should. You, however, definitely should not. Zero wouldn’t want you anywhere near this—”
“I can handle—”
“Sure, you can. But if the Baron is there, and he sees you, it’ll give him leverage against the rest of us. If Zero was holding you at the club, then the club shows up with you, we could all end up being busted. Then you could end up being subpoenaed for questioning with God knows who and God knows where. No, you need to stay as far away from this as possible, Rayne. Tell me you understand.”
Tears well in her eyes. “I do… I just want him to know I’m here for him. That I’m not going anywhere.”
Reaching out, I squeeze her shoulder. “I’ll tell him. I promise. But he knows!”
“Wraith…”
“Yeah?”
“You get that sonofabitch. Then you do whatever you have to, to bring that asshole down.”
If I could, I would smile. I just don’t have it in me. “The Baron will get what’s coming to him, Cherry. Don’t you worry. I gotta get my head down… figure all this shit out.”
“Then go. Do whatever you need to help Zero, Wraith. You guys might be at odds with each other right now, but there’s no one he’d trust more than you to be by his side for this… you and Neon.”
That’s the truth of it.
Zero’s go-to’s are, and have always been, the tech nerd and me.
I don’t have a problem with Neon, I’ve just never had much to do with him. Maybe for the sake of our mutual brother, we need to team up and work together on this one.
“Cherry, while the guys and I are dealing with this, I’m going to leave you in charge of running day- to-day shit around here. You need help, talk to Nessie. You need an ear, talk to Ruby. You need a gun, talk to Luc. The prospect needs something to do, so putting him on your protective detail seems like the right call for now. You’re a part of this club, a very important part… the First Lady. You need to step up and take charge while Zero’s away.”
A fire lights in her eyes. All the misery and terror from moments before vanishes as she stands taller. I’ve switched her from mourning her loss to the queen bee she’s meant to be. “Okay, I can do this.”
“That’s the spirit. Make sure you keep an eye on Prinie for me, will you? Her PTSD is triggering. Having Zero dragged off has hit her hard.”
“Okay, yeah, I will go check on her. I’ll take care of the clubhouse, Wraith. You make sure you get everything in line for Zero. Promise me?”
“Done! I’m gonna find a way out of this.” Somehow.
We both turn, walking in opposite directions, the weight of this is like a fucking elephant sitting on my chest.
I can’t even fathom where to begin.
What would Zero do?
I turn, sending a whistle through the clubrooms.
Everyone faces me as I take in a steadying breath. “Brothers, church, now. Luc,” the prospect’s eyes shoot to me like he wasn’t expecting his name to be called. “You’re on Cherry. Everywhere she goes, you do, too. Got it?”
His eyes shift to his best friend, Chains, who’s the entire reason he patched in here from Chicago. Chains beams wide at him. Luc doesn’t need permission from Chains, he’s getting support for his first solo gig.
“Got it… ahh, do we call you pres while Zero’s away?” Luc asks.
Fuck if I know!
Technically I’m the interim president, but fuck if that doesn’t feel like admitting defeat.
“No. The president still wears his patch. He isn’t gone. He hasn’t left. Let’s think of it as he’s on a vacation. Zero’s coming back. I’m not sure when, but we are getting him back. As for me, I’m your VP, so you call me as such. Now everyone… get in the chapel, we have shit to discuss. Luc, don’t you let her out of your fucking sight! You feel me?”
“Yes, VP,” Luc calls out as I turn walking for the chapel doors. I push through them with no plan in place, no speech prepared, no angle to come at them with. I’m hoping an honest, open discussion among my brothers will get us all in the right headspace for when we head down to the police station.
Walking in, I round the table. I shuffle past Zero’s chair with an uneasy emotion spinning through me. I’m running this meeting, so technically, I should sit at the top, but again, that feels downright disrespectful. I take a seat in my usual VP chair leaving Zero’s empty. I slide his gavel over in front of me as the other brothers make their way through the door. Fox is the last, so he closes the heavy door behind him. They all pull up their seats as I crack my neck to the side trying to ease the rising tension.
“So, Kevlar, I wanna hit you first. You obviously had no idea your brother was gonna come in here, right?”
Kevlar folds his arms across his chest. “Fucking asshole was always searching for a reason to raid the joint. He hates the fact I’m here. Any damn excuse to get the club shut down or the people here I care about in the shit, Ethan will take it. I don’t understand why, when he knows it’s only going to push me further away from him.”
I sit forward, placing my hands on the table. “What does this mean for Lucas and Sadie?”
Kevlar groans. “My kids mean every-fucking-thing to me, but them living with Ethan has always been a contentious issue. He’s pushing the damn limits of my every last nerve. I can’t see what the fuck he’s trying to gain from this shit. If he wants me to trust him, he’s going the wrong fucking way about it.”
Neon places his device on the table gaining our attention. “Kevlar, could Ethan be involved in any of this? Could he be involved with the Baron?”
Kevlar’s eyes widen. “No. No, fucking way. Eath is far too strait-laced. He does everything by the damn book. No exceptions. To him the Baron would be someone on his radar. He knows he’s dirty, but no one can ever prove anything.”
“Can we use Ethan to our favor? Tell him what happened. Explain everything. Find out if he knows any workarounds that’ll help?” Chains offers.
Kevlar scrunches up his face. “Eath might help. I’m sure he’s aware of ways to ensure Zero gets bail, and he could possibly help us find the right lawyer—”
“But?” I cut in.
“But he won’t. He hates this club way too much to help us.”
“Not even if it could help you in the long run. Help his blood family?” Fox asks.
“He’s the most stubborn man I know. When I left the force, he took it personally. I was his training officer. Taught him everything he knows. Then I up and left him for love at a biker club. He’s bitter. Doesn’t understand how I could transition so smoothly into vigilante life after being a cop.”
“From what I remember, the transition w
asn’t easy for you at all,” Fox blurts out.
“Exactly. It’s just Eath doesn’t see that part of it. If he’s going to make life hard here, I don’t want him doing something stupid and restricting access to my kids.”
“Then we bring them back here,” Chains offers without hesitation.
Chains’ old club back in Chicago had a few brats running around. They might be used to kids over in the windy city, but here in Houston, we’re not so used to rug rats being on our radar and getting in the way of our lifestyle.
I raise my hands halting everyone from talking. “We’re getting off track. Kevlar, I know your kids are fucking important, and rightly so. Ethan is a part in all of this whether we like it or not, so we will have to figure it out. But right now, we need to focus on Zero. He’s being processed, so we need to head downtown to the police station to see what’s happening, and if we can bring him home, which I highly doubt…” I trail off changing the subject. “Neon, you any closer to finding us a damn attorney?”
He slides his device across the table to me. A face lights the screen, she’s young, pretty as all hell, but has an edge to her, a guise that says ‘fuck with me, I dare you.’ Her auburn hair is styled perfectly.
There’s only one problem—she’s a woman.
“The Baron will eat her alive.”
“You would think so, I agree, but she came up against Howard Goldbladt in a sexual allegation case between him and his cleaning lady.”
My eyes widen. “Howard Goldbladt, the mining tycoon? The Goldbladt who’s now serving a life sentence because from that one allegation they found a shit-ton of other fraudulent activities and crap?”
“One and the same.”
“And you’re telling me she’s willing to work on Zero’s case?”
Neon sits taller. “She’s on her way here now.”
“Then you better tell me her name.”
WRAITH
We’ve had brothers taken into the police station before. Hell, we’ve had presidents taken before and even locked up, but I’ve never felt more anxious about it than I do right now, and it’s for a multitude of reasons.