by Sadie Savage
“Damn right I don’t understand,” Ari said. “So show me. Or I’m out of here.”
“Jesus Christ,” Arrow growled. “I’m not taking you anywhere.”
“No, man, let her go,” Plank said. “She’s hot.”
“Yeah, there’s no harm in bringing her along. Nobody will mess with her, right Plank?”
“Whose side are you on, Jimmy?” Arrow exclaimed.
“I’m on the side of love,” Jimmy said.
Plank and Jimmy started laughing hysterically and Arrow turned his back on them.
“I don’t want you going. It’s going to be dangerous.”
“I don’t care,” Ari said.
Her chin was jutted out defiantly, just as it had been when she had refused to abandon the calf on the ranch, and Arrow knew that it would be no use to fight her. She was determined to get in to that party.
“Fine,” Arrow mumbled. “But stay quiet. I can’t risk having you get hurt. And for fuck’s sake, don’t do anything stupid.”
“I won’t do anything stupider than you would do,” Ari said.
Arrow glowered as the two men laughed again like hyenas.
“Whatever,” he growled. “Follow me then. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Chapter 14
Ari felt sick as she got in the back seat of Plank’s car with Arrow. He refused to even look at her, and she studied him from her vantage point. He looked good, but she was too furious to care. He had dressed up in a nice leather vest that showed off his abundant tattoos and was wearing a black bandana. He had even trimmed his beard. Wherever they were going, he wanted to look his best.
When the car finally came to a stop, Ari gasped as she realized just why this party might be a big deal to Arrow. It was being held in a huge house on the opposite end of the town, and as the car rolled down the long driveway, Ari was amazed by the scenery. She had never before seen anything so extravagant. Whoever owned that house had a taste for luxury.
“Come on,” Arrow growled when they got out of the car.
Plank led them to the doorway, puffed out as if he had done something remarkably special by inviting them to the event. The doorman led them in with a low whistle at Ari, and Arrow silenced him with a cold glare. She felt a surge of warmth despite herself; he really did care about her.
“Let’s go,” Plank said. “Thanks to your drama we’re late. Don’t want to miss the premier.”
The house was breathtaking. A huge ballroom was in the back, decorated lavishly and filled with people mingling, chatting with each other and taking glasses of champagne from butlers that were roaming the crowd. Ari was humbled by the sight.
She was shocked when, in the crowd, she thought she caught a glimpse of her uncle. She slipped away from Arrow’s protective body and slowly made her way toward him. His voice was carrying toward her; it was unmistakable. This was her uncle.
“Hawk, man, when are you going to get that girl of yours off your hands and come live here full time?”
“I have to wait. She’s still useful.”
“For what?!”
“She does all the housework. And everything my good–for-nothing brother owned was in her name. I didn’t realize they had wills when I cut the brakes. What a stupid oversight on my part. I have to figure out what to do next. It just seems so tacky to murder a young girl…I’d rather come up with something better. I might try getting her hooked on this new stuff.”
Ari’s stomach sank. Did her uncle just confess to murdering her parents? And why would he want her to get hooked on heroin? What the hell was going on?
“There you are,” Arrow exclaimed, grabbing Ari’s arm. “Don’t wander in this place. It isn’t safe.”
Ari opened and closed her mouth, but no sound came out. Arrow frowned. “What’s the matter?”
She shook her head and gestured helplessly at her uncle, who was in the corner bragging as usual. He had a young girl at his elbow, a young wisp of a thing who was eyeing the men in attendance hungrily. Was she in some kind of nightmare?
“All right, it’s time for the party favors,” Hawk was saying. “Bring out the horse. The shipment is in and I’m dying to know what you all think of it.”
Soon, the butlers carrying trays of champagne were coming out in choreographed lines, holding trays above their heads full of brown powder and vials of liquid. She turned to Arrow in horror.
“What is happening?” she demanded.
“I swear, I’ll explain everything to you soon, but right now I really need to concentrate. Stay here, and don’t go with anyone. Nobody here is your friend.”
“Not even you,” she spat.
His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing, and moved toward Hawk slowly. But he was too late. Hawk had already spotted Ari in the crowd. And that wasn’t good.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Hawk exclaimed. “You’re supposed to be at home!”
“What? Minding the house like a little dog?” Ari exclaimed.
The room was suddenly silent and she stepped toward her uncle, fury etched in every line of her face. “I ought to call the cops on you myself!”
“Let’s not get hasty,” Hawk said, reaching toward his niece. But to everybody’s surprise, he struck her hard in the face.
Ari flew back, pain surging through her body, and before she could even register what was happening, Arrow was shouting, “Now!” and the sounds of fists on flesh filled the room.
Everybody was shouting and clamoring as they tried to get out of the place, but all exits were blocked by a huge group of Pythons.
“Arrow?” Ari mumbled, getting clumsily to her feet.
Arrow was across the room, beating her uncle to a bloody pulp. How could she have been so blind? Her uncle was a drug dealer. A pusher, a manipulative murderer. And Arrow was beating the life out of him right at his own party.
The strangest part of all was that Ari didn’t even care.
Finally, sirens outside the house made everybody start screaming again, and Arrow moved calmly through the crowd of panicked addicts. He lifted Ari and cradled her to his broad chest.
“We’re getting out of here, kid,” he said quietly into her ear. The deep rumble of his voice was soothing, and she relaxed in his arms as they made their way out of the party and into a crowd of awaiting police.
“She’s all right,” Arrow assured them. “I’ll take care of her now.”
He carried her for miles, until he could catch a cab, and they sat in the car in silence until they reached the ranch.
“Come in with me,” Ari whispered. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“I’ll never leave you again,” Arrow swore.
“What happened back there? Who are you really?” Ari asked, staring at Arrow, her chest tight.
She knew nothing about him except this: he wasn’t the bad guy.
“I’m a Python. I used to be an addict. Your uncle helped make me that way. And that back there, was my revenge.”
Ari nodded dumbly.
“I need to lie down.”
Arrow nodded, but didn’t budge.
“Come on,” she whispered, taking his hand. “I can’t be by myself right now.”
Arrow nodded. “All right, kid.”
Chapter 15
Arrow stood in the doorway as Ari climbed into her bed. It had been a long night for her.
“Please lay with me,” Ari begged. Arrow obliged.
She had gone through too much to deny her.
When he climbed in the bed, he took Ari into his arms and held her close.
“I never want to be apart from you,” Ari whispered. “I don’t feel safe anywhere else.”
“All right, kid, all right,” Arrow said, kissing her brow gently.
A surge of hot desire coursed through him. It had been so hard to resist her; so hard to keep his hands off. But there was something so infinitely wise about this girl. She was so beautiful. And when she looked him in the eye, there was an unmistakable fire ther
e. She had invited him into her bed. Did he need a written invitation?
“I love you, Arrow. Please, never do drugs again. Please…”
Arrow answered her whisper with an urgent, passionate kiss. It took Ari’s breath away and he could feel her body surrendering beneath his as his tongue caressed hers gently. It had been so long since anybody had cared for him. Who knew that the deepest and most powerful love he’d ever had would come in such a small, young package?
“I won’t,” Arrow promised, rolling on top of her as fire traveled from his loins.
His cock was harder than it had ever been in his life, and he dropped tender kisses all over Ari’s body, carefully peeling her clothing off and running his hands down the perfection of her skin. It was young and soft, unblemished by the marks of time, and he found her to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Ari moaned when Arrow’s cock found its way between her legs, and he rocked his hips gently against her, allowing her to feel the muscle fully before it was submerged. She shuddered in anticipation and he buried his face in the nape of her neck, nibbling her sweet flesh.
It whetted his desire for her and she moaned softly as Arrow’s cock began to swell against her. He had never been this hard in his life, and it would take all he had to restrain himself. Only this time, he didn’t have to. This time, there was no reason why not. All he felt was love.
Ari’s soft hands ran along the muscles of his impressive biceps, tracing the outlines of his tattoos as he slowly began to make his way inside of her. She shuddered in ecstasy as he submerged himself inside, the head of his cock fully enveloped by the velvety warmth of her middle. Her beautiful eyes looked into his as her cheeks began to flush an attractive pink. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He was sure of it.
The knowledge fueled the inferno and Arrow thrust himself inside of her, electrifying his entire body as he gripped Ari’s ass and began to unleash fervent, furious thrusts. Her body quaked beneath him as he had his way with her, and she contracted around him, filling him with a pleasure he had never fully experienced before. Their bodies were in sync as Arrow buried himself inside of her, making sure she could feel every inch of his throbbing cock as he pried her legs apart again and again.
His body was on fire, a fire that only Ari could extinguish, and he thought back to the first time he had been with her; the urgency and desperation that had finally prompted him to act. Now, that desperation was replaced by reverence, and he drank her in like a goddess, exploring every tiny detail of her body with tenderness…except for her middle, which he assaulted again and again with the passion of his longing.
Ari shuddered beneath him, her breasts fully exposed to his awaiting mouth, and he dropped it over them, causing her to cry out in pleasure as he gave another thrust.
Somehow, that seemed to be the movement that undid her, and she began to quake beneath his touch, her body overpowered by the force of her desire. She gripped Arrow’s shoulders tightly, and he continued to thrust powerfully as her climax began in earnest, milking the hot reservoirs of his passion until they were close to bursting within her loins.
He held back as long as he could, but when Ari began gasping, her pleasure mounting to something as yet unforeseen by either of them, Arrow lost the little self-control he had left. He gave in to his animalistic longing and they cried out in pleasure as, together, they reached their climax. Arrow’s load exploded from inside of her, coating Ari as her body squeezed and massaged his stiff muscle.
Finally, he gave a final thrust, emptying himself fully into her body, and then collapsed beside her, panting and out of breath from his deed. Ari smiled sweetly at him and his heart nearly stopped. She was a stunning woman, and he would do anything for her. Anything at all.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” she whispered back.
They lay together, their fingers entwined, and fell asleep soundly until the break of morning.
Epilogue
“Arrow! Come here, man.”
Arrow sighed heavily. He hadn’t been back to the MC since the premier. He knew that most of the men there wouldn’t believe that he’d been sober the whole time. But it didn’t matter. Hawk was taken care of. That was the important thing.
“What’s up, Thatcher?”
“We have a surprise for you.”
Arrow frowned.
“I don’t like surprises.”
“You might like this one. Get out here.”
Arrow followed Thatcher’s voice to the parking lot of the MC, and stopped abruptly, his heart in his throat.
Standing before him, pristine and in like-new condition, was the motorcycle he had traded in all those years ago.
“How did you do this?!” Arrow exclaimed.
Thatcher and Marcus exchanged looks, and a crowd of Pythons standing around the parking lot began to cheer.
“We bought it from the guy who sold it just as soon as you bought it. Marcus recognized the leather work right away.”
“I can’t believe it,” Arrow whispered, walking to his bike in awe. Ari wasn’t going to believe this. She had always wanted to ride on a bike with him, one that wasn’t that death trap.
“Also, you’ve earned this,” Marcus said, stepping forward and giving Arrow a pin.
Arrow grew rigid. They were giving him back his position as VP.
“But how?” Arrow asked, almost overcome with emotion.
“Anyone who could resist that kind of pressure is a fuckin’ hero, man. Boa saw what you did. He showed us all. And Thatcher agrees. You’re best suited to this job. Welcome back, brother.”
Arrow and Marcus embraced, and the whole parking lot erupted into loud cheers. Arrow’s heart soared as he mounted his bike, and revved the engine for the excited Pythons as they celebrated his promotion.
He sped away victoriously, anxious to share the news with his fiancé, who was just around the corner getting the deed to her ranch. Things were looking up, and together he knew that he and Ari were going to be unstoppable.
Ace
Chapter 1
Ace eyed the street carefully. Red Hook was not out of the territory he rode, no part of Brooklyn was, but it wasn’t his usual hangout either. The street was barely populated. Very few cars rode its length, and the industrial buildings looked grimy and half-dead under the blazing August sun. The stink of trash on the curb caught his nose, as the wind kicked up a little breeze that did nothing to beat back the temperature.
The crowded industrial apartments drew his eye. He got off the bike and headed into the door. The elevator sat dead ahead but he ignored it. Elevators were a damn good place to get jammed up, and shot up too. They were death coffins and he was not about to get caught in one if he could help it.
His long legs ate the distance as he raced up the stairs to the fifth floor. The apartment that he was looking for was on his right. Ace’s hand went to his waist. The reassuring shape of the gun met his fingers. His knuckles of the other hand rapped at the door and it opened to reveal a sallow character with yellowing teeth and shifty eyes.
Ace spoke. “Pick up time Corey.”
Corey’s neck, thin as an arm, wobbled back and forth. His protruding Adam apple bobbed up and down. His eyes swept the hallway past Ace and every single one of Ace’s muscles tightened.
Corey said, “Come in. They got cameras out there now.”
Goddammit. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He stepped inside anyway, his eyes scanning every piece of furniture that might hide a person waiting to take him down and out.
Corey wiped his sweating forehead. Ace felt suspicion climb higher. Corey wasn’t the best guy to trust under any circumstances. He was geeked up on crank, and he came off those crank binges with heaping handfuls of oxy.
Corey said, in a high and trembling voice. “I didn’t ask to get stuck babysitting your crew’s cash you know.”
Ace eyed him carefully. Corey wanted something. Might as well find out what
it was. “Where’s the cash? Don’t tell me it’s light either. Then tell me what you want. If you tell me you used some of our cash to get your geek on I’m killing you here and now.”
Corey yanked at the cabinet that held the Murphy bed. It came down with a bang, and he grabbed the bags. His head moved from side to side. “Nah, it ain’t right. I don’t wanna die or nothing.”
No? Ace quickly counted cash, his fingers way faster than normal. He said, “So you want a cut?’
Corey swallowed hard. His horsey teeth showed again. “Is that so bad?”
“No.”
Corey’s arms crossed over his chest. He did a little speed freak shuffle. “You holding?”
“You know I’m not.” Ace didn’t mess with drugs. Not him. He reached into a pocket, peeled off a couple of Benjamins. He threw them down on a table littered with trash. “That’s for your twenty-four hours of trouble.’
Corey snatched the money up. A thick film of greasy sweat covered his face. The airless room, filled with the stench of burned meth, drew in tighter around Ace.
Corey said, “Thanks man. I’m down for your crew. You know that.”
“Yeah sure.”
Ace left, closing the door firmly. His legs took him back down the stairs. His eyes scanned the street. No way did he trust Corey not to tell a bunch of his equally tweaked friends that he was holding lots of cash. Corey might be afraid to cross the Brooklyn Son’s, but if someone else did, well how did that impact Corey?
Ace slung a leg over his bike. The leather seat burned under his denim clad ass.
The heavy leather jacket he wore, emblazoned with the Brooklyn’s Sons patch, was a particular misery, but one he wore with pride. Not everyone could get into the MC, and most prospects failed. He’d done it though, and then he had climbed the ranks until he was the second-in command. Six months ago, their crew leader got caught on the bad end of a slippery road and went down, breaking his neck in the process. Now Ace was the crew leader of the most badass club in the Northeast, and if the jacket was too hot on a day like that, so what? He’d suffered a lot to have it.