by Harlow Brown
Absolute silence encompassed us as she stood almost statuesque. Finally, she broke it with, "My heart better not fucking let me down. Please, Whiskey, you have it, but for fuck's sake, please don't break it. I need help putting it back together. I wouldn’t survive another heartbreak."
I picked up her tiny frame and enveloped her in an incredibly heartfelt hug. The kind of embrace you see in the movies. So much passion came from that very moment that I was almost in tears. I'd never admit it to her or my brothers, but this girl had me by the balls. No, more than that; she had me by the heartstrings too. I didn't even feel this weepy when I saw Angie in a puddle of blood and knew right then that my son had died.
How does she have me in this state already?
Charlie was my saving grace, and I was hers. "I'm so fucking glad you listened to your dad. I won't break your heart, Charlie. Babes, I swear, I will be the one who puts it back together for you. You have my word."
As our eyes locked, a burning in my chest caused me to search her face, and I found her lips. I wanted to kiss those perfect lips of hers.
"Just do it, Whiskey."
"Are you sure? I’ll wait on you till forever ends if that's how long it takes. I don't want to rush you. We have plenty of time to figure us out. Don't rush on account of me."
"Shut your big dumbass biker mouth and kiss me already. It's been a long time since I’ve looked forward to a kiss and not dreaded it. You’re kind of killing the moment, man."
AS HIS LIPS moved closer to mine, my heart sped up, my palms started sweating, and my stomach was filled with butterflies. I was so nervous. It had literally been years since I’d wanted, or actually needed, the affection of a man.
His beautiful face was so close to mine, and I was anxiously awaiting the softness and warmth of his kiss. Once our lips met for the first time, my whole body came to life. So much was different about that versus the last three years. All of that going through my head proved to be too much for the moment. I broke the kiss and backed away a bit, my eyes wide. "Wow!"
"Wow what?"
"I had forgotten this feeling. I'm all tingly."
"Fuck, Charlie, if a little kiss has you lit up like a Christmas tree, just imagine how you'll feel when…."
"When what, Whiskey?"
"Nothing. Never mind. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry."
"Look, I know where you were headed with that conversation. It's okay. I trust you. I want to be normal again, and I want this, whatever this is."
"What do you want it to be, Charlie?"
"I don't know. All I know is I want it with you. There is still so much more we have to figure out and learn about each other."
We did. I barely knew him. I wanted to know about the club, his family, and friends, his job, or if he had a job. Did he work for The Chosen Legion? So much was still unknown for us both.
I walked over to the window and looked out at my beauty of a car. And then I noticed a small silver dot behind my tire. I must have had my wheels cut just right, or I wouldn't have ever seen it. "Whiskey, what's that?" I pointed it out to him. "I've never noticed it before."
"I'll look." He lightly touched my shoulders as he walked by. As he made his way to the car, I admired the sexiness that I was blessed to see. Those jeans were worn out and fraying in just the right places, and just tight enough to show off his muscular thighs and oh-so-perfect ass. He bent at the knees, lowered his body to eye level with the tire, and picked off the silver bud.
Anger instantly flooded his face and he barrelled back through the door.
"Get your shit."
"What? What's going on?"
He stopped and glared at me, then held out his hand and said, "You’re being tracked. This is a tracking device, a GPS. I’d bet Hensley is behind this."
I felt my face drain of color. My hands went clammy and I made a beeline for the toilet to throw up.
The fucker tracked me? Why? What did I have to do to convince him I didn't love him, nor did I want him anymore? That he’d ruined any chances of that?
As soon as Whiskey gathered his composure, he was in there with me. "Babes, how attached are you to that car?"
"Very." I picked up my head and flushed away the evidence of my fear, anger, and loathing for that fucker. "My daddy bought me that car. Why?"
"If he bugged it once, I guarantee there are more devices on it. I think you should get rid of it."
"Can't I just take it somewhere and have it checked out? I will not get rid of it."
"Okay then. Will you hear me out? This is going to sound crazy… and expensive."
"Whiskey, I'm not worried about the money. What’s your idea?"
"Is there any other car you want?"
"Yeah, I guess. Why? I'm not following your thought process here."
"What if we went and bought it and left this one here to see if he comes for you? There’s no way for him to know you purchased a new one, nor think you would. He knows your attachment to this car, so he isn't going to think you would consider anything else. We’ll just have to figure out a way to get it home."
"Fuck it!" I stood up and pulled my hair on top of my head. "Let's get a cab to the nearest Toyota place."
"Toyota?"
"I've always liked the 4Runners. Now's as good a time as any to drop forty thousand dollars on a ride. No better reason than your ex-boyfriend is a batshit-crazy psychotic fucktard, right?"
"Guess not. Let's go. There's no telling where he is."
AFTER THE GRUELING process of car shopping, Charlie finally had what she wanted—a black 2016 4Runner Limited Edition. This thing was incredibly luxurious. It was so much fancier than my old truck. She deserved it, though. Her new 4Runner now sat four parking spaces from her Mustang.
I saw the worry written all over her face; I wanted so badly to take it away. "Charlie, you know it'll be okay, don't you? I won't let him hurt you anymore. But I'm going to need you to listen to me and do what I ask you, okay? I promise I'll never intentionally be a dickhead, but when it comes to your safety, I'll make no bones about doing whatever I have to do to protect you from him. I don't get my rocks off bossing women around—" I grinned. "—all the time."
She smiled shyly and looked out the window again. All at once, she went rigid, her face pale like she’d seen a ghost. I wasn't confident she was even breathing. I followed her line of sight and spotted what I feared—Hensley. He pulled up real slow and creepy, like a slithering snake, beside her Mustang. As he was eyeing her car, I moved myself and Charlie out of the window so he couldn't see us. I took her to the bed and attempted to leave her on it, but she grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go. Our eyes met, and I saw so much in them. Of course, gone was the beautiful blue, replaced with a cold gray.
I didn't sense anger, though; I sensed fear.
"Charlie, babes, I got you. Don't worry about anything when I'm with you, okay? I would never let anything hurt you."
"Just make it stop. I'll do whatever you need, but I'm sick of being afraid of him, afraid of what he'll do. Tell me we can get rid of the bastard… permanently."
I searched those cold gray eyes, hatred and loathing seeping out of them. Hensley was living on borrowed time, for sure. Those eyes told me all I needed to know; she would do whatever it took to make him disappear, and I aimed to help her.
"Babes, I'll talk to Chief, Fury, and Magnum and get their help. The club will back you if you belong to a member, and right now I'm claiming you. You're mine, Charlie, and I'll support you and do whatever it takes to make you happy and give you comfort. But right now, you need to call Jazz and Briar and let them know what’s going on, okay?"
She nodded at me and let me get her phone. Just as she began to press a button, it started ringing. I glanced out the window and saw the douche bag on his phone and knew immediately who was on the other end of the line.
Well, this just got a whole lot more interesting.
"Hello?"
I mouthed to her to put it on speakerphone so
I could hear him too.
"Char, how are you, baby?"
"What do you want, Hensley? And for fuck's sake, I'm not your baby. I'm busy and don't want to talk to you."
"I see you're busy. Did you decide to take a trip?"
I mouthed at her, "Play stupid."
She mouthed back, "That's dumb. Why would I do that?"
I made my way to the window and peeked around the curtain; he was leaned against her Mustang like he owned it.
"Well, I think you did, seeing as I found your Mustang sitting outside a motel almost into Tennessee. Come on out here and let's discuss this situation and how we can fix it."
"First of all, I'm actually a little tied up at the moment and can't come down there." I watched as he stared at each window, trying to find hers. I looked at her, and she had a menacing look, and then she winked at me. What the fuck?
"Cover the phone," I mouthed.
She put the phone on mute.
"I'll call Briar and Jazz and have them get the Mustang. They can have someone bring them down here. Riddick is prospecting, I think. We’ll make this work, I swear. You keep him occupied, and I’ll be back in a minute."
Charlie nodded at me and took the phone off mute. "What do you mean, all tied up? I thought you hated that?"
She winked at me and gave me that mischievous grin of hers, then started in with Hensley.
"No, Hensley, I don't hate it. I hated it when you did it. You see, there is a right and a wrong way to tie a girl up. When it’s used as punishment or forced on me, no, I don't care for it. When it's done right, though… oh, when it's done right, the things my body feels are out of this world. And you never delivered anything like it."
"You goddamned slut. You'll pay for that shit you’re spitting. You know that, right?"
"I know you think you're man enough to try, but you see, Hensley, I've got a tall, dark—"
"Shut the fuck up and come down here. It's time we go home."
She walked over to the window and looked out, muted the phone again, and told me, “I need you to play along. It's going to piss him off, and he'll likely leave. After that, we have a small window of opportunity to get away from here. He has family about an hour out. I'm sure he’ll go there and get backup. You in?"
"Whatever you need. You know him better than anyone."
"Just play along." She turned back towards the window and looked at her phone, then back up at me. With a grin and a wink, she said, "I trust you. And remember, the dirtier, the better."
She took the phone off mute and said in a sultry and seductive voice, "Oh, Hensley, I'm coming all right, but not just yet. And not for you. See, you interrupted me a minute ago. I've got a tall, dark, sexy-as-hell man in here with me who has me all bound and helpless to him. Seeing as you sort of interrupted the flow of things, let me catch you up thus far."
She played dirty. Hot damn, did she play dirty. I could certainly play her game with her, for her, and like it… a lot.
"See, Hensley, he started by kissing me so sweetly and making me feel like I was the only girl in the whole world for him, like God didn't create anyone else's lips to fit his. He held my face so gently in his big, long hands and kissed me softly. Then he gently rubbed my lips with his thumb while he looked into my eyes. As it turns out, I actually have those. Not that you would know, though. There was a connection, one I never had with you, and we both felt it. He gently picked me up as if I were a fragile china doll, like I was precious, and carried me to the bed."
Fuck me sideways. She was playing with his head and I was the lucky bastard who got to help her. Oh, I had a feeling that he was going to regret ever mistreating her. This was only the beginning of her vengeance, and the beginning of my happiness. I felt down deep in my soul that Charlie was it. She was my everything. I found myself wondering again how, after such a short amount of time, I could feel this strongly, but there was no logical explanation.
"You done? You aren't accomplishing anything."
"Then he lifted my shirt off but stopped it at my wrists. See, Hensley, it doesn't take a rope, or zip-ties, or anything harsh. Being bound by my soft cotton shirt works just fine."
"You whore."
Yeah, I entered the conversation at that point. He wasn't going to continue to disrespect her. "Whores get paid. She volunteered. She just asked that I make her forget the last three years, if only for a little while. How was I supposed to turn down this angel?"
"She'll never forget me."
"No. Probably not. But she was on her way to a short-lived distraction when you made an unwelcomed appearance a few minutes ago."
Charlie chimed back in. “Where was I, Hensley? Oh yeah, I remember now. He then lifted his shirt and bared his sinful torso. I just thought yours was hot. Oh, and about that. You have some work to do. Turns out you don't have shit on Whiskey. As he moves, his muscles flex and twist, making my core clench with anticipation. I mean seriously, if just being restrained and forced to stare at his body does that to me, can you imagine what else is in store for me?"
Okay, at that point she was playing with me too. I stepped back to see her cheeks flushed, her nipples hard through her shirt. I then took the lead role in her little play with Hensley, removing my shirt and tossing it on the bed. I saw her eyes change from gray to a dark blue as lust filled them.
"Put the phone on the table, babes."
"Whiskey, is it? You know I'll get her back, don't you?" he seethed through the speakerphone.
"Not fucking likely. You see, Hensley, I treat women with respect and make sure they’re fully satisfied before I even start to go for my own pleasure. I'm told that whiskey isn't an acquired taste after all, that once they’ve had a taste they’re addicted. I was about to make Charlie a whiskey girl until you showed up."
"Why don't you come out here and talk your shit?"
"And leave my girl? Fuck, that'd be dumb. Why on earth would I do that?"
"So I can kill you and get my girl back."
"How about I stay up here instead, locked in the room with the most beautiful woman I have ever seen?"
I was sure to make eye contact with Charlie, speaking softly with so much truth and gentleness that she knew I wasn't only doing this to piss Hensley off. "I think I'd rather do that if you don't mind. Thanks for the offer, though." I grabbed the phone and set it on the nightstand beside the bed, then went back to Charlie.
"Come here, babes." I pulled her to me and whispered in her ear, "Let's get rid of him so we can get gone. You still with me? We still good?"
"Yes," she replied with a moan.
"Good. I plan on showing you how a woman is supposed to be treated." I moved her over to the bed and gripped the bottom of her shirt. Her eyes met mine and I paused, trying to read her body language. She made it real easy for me by lifting her arms above her head. I removed her shirt but left it on her wrists, just as she described to Hensley. Damn, if she didn't look like a tiny package of perfect sitting there with her tits perked up in her black lace bra. Her nipples were so hard they were begging to be touched.
"So, Hensley, once he had my wrists restrained to his liking, he ran his big hands over my shoulders, down my arms, and back up to my breasts."
"They really are a sight to see. Too bad for you that you'll never get the chance again. She looks beautiful sitting here in her black lace bra, her long blonde hair—"
"Shut the fuck up,” Hensley growled. “I get it. You get the girl, for now. But don't think she’s yours forever. I'll have my little whore back. Then I'll make her call you while I'm the one fucking her. Turnabout is fair play, right, Char?"
I reached over and muted the phone. "You okay?"
"Yes. He's getting pissed. We almost have him ready to leave, and I'm ready to get him gone. I'm also ready for something else."
As she said that, the swell of her breasts turned the slightest shade of pink and her gaze on me stayed heated. I knew she was ready for me to make her forget about him.
"As you wish.
Do you still want dirty?"
"I'll just go with whatever you throw out. I'll play your way, Whiskey. I trust you."
I took the phone off mute and she started back up again.
"Hensley, you still there? Where was I? Oh, yes. Then he gently palmed my breasts and kneaded them till I thought I'd come just from that."
Then she motioned me over to her and mouthed, "Do it." So, I did. I grabbed her black-laced tits and kneaded and squeezed until her head rolled back as her lips parted. She inhaled sharply and moaned, "Mmm, just like that, Whiskey."
I pulled down the lace of her bra and sucked a nipple into my mouth.
"Oh, Whiskey."
"You like that, Charlie?"
"Take your jeans off. I need to see if your bottom half compares to the top."
"Babes, I've never had any complaints." I did as she asked and rid myself of my jeans. Damn, it felt so good to get some relief; those jeans were constricting. Her eyes grew big as she took in my nakedness.
"Well, does it compare to my top half, Charlie?"
"Whiskey, you are the finest thing I have ever laid eyes on. How did I get so lucky to cross paths with you? I need to feel you. Let me out of the shirt, please."
I did and was rewarded when her lips crashed to mine. I was so wrapped up in her that I forgot for a moment that we didn't hear Hensley's dumb ass for a minute or two. She caught my hesitation and whispered in my ear, "He's still there. Don't stop, please," right before sucking my earlobe into her mouth.