Consume Me

by Ryan Michele

  Princess leaps up too, but I’m already on my way over, throwing people out of my way to get to Blaze. Where in the fuck is Cali? Pandemonium breaks out and guys start shoving each other and doing stupid bullshit. A chair flies but all I can do is think about getting to Blaze. After shoving yet another guy out of my fucking way, I find her. The asshole who jumped the stage is on top of her, grinding his hips like he’s fucking her. Blaze’s knee comes up and knocks the bastard in the nuts before I fully get to her. The asshole keels over, about to roll to his side, when I pick him up by his collar.

  Cali comes up and picks Blaze up off the floor. I do a full body scan over every inch of her flesh and there’s no blood. “Take her to the dressing room. I’ll be there in a minute. Don’t let her out,” I order Cali, he nods. Princess gets through and rushes up to Blaze to escort them.

  I lift the stupid motherfucker up and drag him through the crowd of screaming people, knocking a few over in the process, and out the side door of X. My anger is so ripe, so raw, that it unleashes on the man. He fucking touched her. I throw him up against the brick wall, his skull hitting it with a crack.

  “What the fuck is your problem?” I yell at the bastard, not really caring, but demanding answers.

  His eyes are glassy. The stupid motherfucker is completely wasted, too bad because he won’t feel the pain as much as I want him to. My fist connects with his jaw and his face swings to the side. He slumps down the wall. What a pathetic piece of shit. I grab him and hold him up. I give two hard punches to his ribs, knowing I bruised them pretty fucking bad, maybe even broke them. He doubles over in pain. I give one more punch to the eye, his head cracking on the brick once more.

  Then I let him slump down to the ground. I reach around to his back pocket and pick out his wallet. I remove his ID and talk low and deep. “Do not ever show your fucking face in this place again. You do, I’m coming to your house and I’ll bring my guys. It’ll be much more fun.”

  I throw his wallet at him and it bounces off his chest. I make sure the picture on the ID is him and search for my woman in the club. The flood lights are on in the place and bouncers are escorting all the people out of the club, most of them running to get out. On my way into X, I run into Doug who gives me a chin lift and is trying to calm the other girls. He’s cradling one in his arms. Tough fucking job.

  At Blaze’s door, I turn the handle. It’s locked. Cali shrugs. “Is Princess in there with her?”

  “Nope, had to go out and take care of shit,” he says, shrugging and crossing his arms over his chest.

  Shit. I knock on the door and she doesn’t say anything. “Blaze, open up.” Nothing. I bang hard, shaking the walls around the door. “If I have to get the key from Princess I will.” After what seems like an eternity, she opens the door a crack and I step in, closing it behind me.

  My hearts stops for a beat. Her eyes are blotchy and red. Fuck. She’s been crying. Fear runs in her eyes, but it seems like there is more to it. I don’t ask, don’t say a word, just go to her and hold her in my arms.

  Small shudders come off of her and I continue to hold her tight. Her arms wrap around my waist and she squeezes hard. We stand there for a long time, holding each other.

  She pulls away first, releasing my waist, and wiping her eyes with her hand. “I’m okay,” she says without any prompting, like an automatic response.

  “If you’re not, that’s okay, Blaze.” I don’t let go of her and she reaches up to my chest, palms down on my pecs. I love the feel of her hands on my body.

  “Really, I’m okay. I want to go home now.” The red rims tell me more than I thought. She is done. D-O-N-E Done. With stripping or just for the night, I don’t know, but it’s there.

  “I’ll come with you.” She nods, shocking the shit out of me, but I don’t show it. No fight whatsoever, only flat out acceptance.

  “Are you okay to drive?” I ask.

  She nods.

  “Get your stuff and let’s go.” I release her reluctantly and she gets all of her things, putting them in her bag mechanically. The light isn’t shining in her eyes. More is going on here. What, no fucking clue, but I seriously want to fucking know.

  I get her into her Jeep and follow her all the way to her house. No one bothers us in or out of the club and I check the house before I let her come in. Everything is clear.

  “I need to shower.” She goes to the bathroom door. “I’ll be out in a minute.” She disappears, her stride slumpy. Every fiber of me is telling me to go and get in with her, but I know I shouldn’t, not after what happened. It’s too raw and I’m not a total asshole.

  I take off my boots then do a double check of the house, doors, windows and blinds. Not that the asshole from tonight would dare come, but this happening tonight puts her living out here by herself in a different perspective for me.

  I fill up a glass of water and luckily find some pain relievers in the first cabinet I open. I turn off all the lights on my way to her bedroom. I set the water and pills on the small table by her bed, turn on the lamp, and click off the main light.

  I sit on the edge of her bed and wait for her. She comes out wearing gray sweat pants tugged up to her knees and an oversized t-shirt with I didn’t do it printed on the front. She startles when she sees me, taking a huge gasp. I watch her try to relax herself.

  “I guess you’re staying?” she says in a question but it’s really a statement.

  “You are not wrong, honey.” Her arms wrap around her body, almost to protect herself. “Do you want me to?” I ask, giving her the choice, not that I would actually leave, but something tells me that she needs this. To have a choice.

  She stares at me, her eyes moving back and forth. She’s thinking hard and it seems there is an internal battle going on. What it is, I’d love to know.

  “Yes,” she whispers. “I’m tired.” She steps to the other side of the bed.

  “Wait!” She jumps. Damn. I’m a fucking ass for barking. “Shit, sorry, babe.” I grab the water and the pills. “Here, take these.” She downs the pills without question, proving her trust in me.

  She climbs in, snagging the covers over her body. Her being quiet and solemn is not the Blaze I know and I fucking hate it. I remove my shirt, jeans and socks and climb into bed with her. She lies there unmoving when I lie down. Fuck that. I turn her around and rest her head on my chest, her arm on my abs, and intertwine my legs with hers. She doesn’t protest.

  I turn off the light and kiss the top of her hair. “What are you thinking about so hard?” I ask in the darkness, staring up at the ceiling. Her body tenses. I’m beginning to really hate that shit.

  “I’m tired,” she answers and I’m sure she is, but I really want to talk about this shit.

  “I know you are, sweet lips, but you gotta talk about it.”

  After a few beats she says, “There’s nothing to talk about. A drunk guy bum-rushed me on stage. I’ll have a bruise on my shoulder and maybe my leg, but other than that I’m fine.” She doesn’t seem fine; to me she seems anything but.

  “That’s all true, babe, but how do you feel about that?”

  “I’m pissed. That shit isn’t supposed to happen at X. The bouncers are supposed to stop that shit from happening.” Now at least we are getting somewhere. “What did you do to him?”

  I wait a minute and think about what to say. “I made sure he wouldn’t come near you or X ever again.” She lifts from my chest, her eyes piercing mine.

  “Did you kill him?”

  “Do you really want to know the answer to that question?” I ask, knowing she doesn’t.

  She turns and lies on my chest. “No. I don’t want to know.”

  I chuckle. “No, sweet lips, just taught him a lesson. One he won’t forget anytime soon.” We lie there in silence and I listen to Blaze’s breathing even out. I sweep my hand up and down her back, the movement hopefully soothing her and definitely soothing me. I’m so fucking revved up from seeing her on the floor like that and that mothe
rfucker dry humping her, but having her in my arms helps. She helps.

  “Thank you,” she whispers so softly I barely catch it.

  “Always.”

  Sleep doesn’t come easy for me. I should be calling Buzz, getting a trace on this asshole that jumped Blaze, but I’m not getting up. I’m not leaving this fucking spot until I have to. Having her in my arms is right and I’m going to keep it that way. Somehow I manage to drift off.

  Movement wakes me. Blaze tries to get out of my arms that are tight around her. Her back to my front, Blaze’s ass cradles my morning wood. I will him to stand down, but well… he has a mind of his own.

  “Where are you going?” I ask gruffly.

  “Bathroom.” Her voice quiet. I let go and she gets out of bed, not scurrying like she’s trying to get away, just that she has to pee. As she walks toward the bathroom, she’s not putting a lot of weight on her right leg. Fuck.

  The clock reads 7:03 a.m. I have to be at the clubhouse around eight thirty and there is no way I’m leaving Blaze alone, not yet. I grab my phone and hit Princess’s name.

  “Are you all right?” she asks in a sleepy voice.

  “Gotta be at the clubhouse. Can you come and stay with Blaze?”

  “How is she?” She yawns into the phone.

  “Think she bruised her right hip or leg. She’s not putting weight on it and I’m sure her shoulder hurts like a bitch.”

  “I’ll be over in twenty.” She disconnects without saying goodbye. She is seriously like her brother. He does the same damn shit.

  I turn off the phone as Blaze comes out of the bathroom. Even first thing in the morning without a spot of makeup on, she’s absolutely beautiful. She comes around the bed and climbs in. This time she doesn’t hesitate and pushes against me and I envelop her in my arms.

  “How are you today?” I expect her to tell me she’s fine because that seemed to be her answer for everything last night.

  “Sore. My shoulder and hip,” she says instead, shocking me but in a good way.

  “How else are you doing?” I prod more.

  “I’m all right, Tug. It was bound to happen sooner or later. It could have been worse.” She shrugs her shoulder against my chest. “It’ll be all right and I’m sure the stage will be heavily guarded now.” She’s not wrong about that either. I will definitely be talking to Princess about that shit or Pops.

  I kiss her temple and her body quakes. I love that I can do that to her. Blaze is not the type of woman that you fuck and leave. She’s not the type that you play around on or with. She’s the type of woman that poses a challenge. And if you meet that challenge, the reward is so fucking big nothing else matters. I will meet the challenge.

  “I’ve gotta get to the clubhouse. Princess is going to come and stay with you,” I say, rubbing small circles on her shoulder with my fingertips.

  “I don’t need a babysitter, Tug.”

  “I know that. I just didn’t want you alone, so I called Princess.” I wait a beat. “Just humor me alright.”

  She sighs. “All right.” Silence fills the air. “Thank you for last night. It was exactly what I needed.”

  It was what I needed too.

  The vein in Pops’ neck throbs but his face remains stoic. Dagger, Cruz, and Rhys haven’t said shit since Buzz started showing them his computer and talking all his techy jargon. I’m sure half the shit no one in this damn room but him understands. Breaker keeps quiet, letting his brother talk, which is something else he does a lot, staying in the background and allowing his brother to lead. I haven’t chimed in much either since I have no clue about any of this shit.

  Word had already spread through Ravage about last night at X before I even got here. I gave the ID to Buzz and asked him to check the guy out for me. No one was happy about what happened to Blaze. The guys may be a bit gruff, but they take care of what is theirs.

  Pops picks up his phone, dials, and holds it to his ear without saying a word to us. “Becs. How long till you’re here?” His brow furrows.

  “Then get your fucking ass in my office now.” Pops clicks off the phone as Becs enters the room.

  “What’s up, boss?” Becs, Ravage’s Vice President, enters as if the world is his oyster and nothing is going to get him down.

  “Sit. Buzz found the guy that cut into our computer for Paine.” Pops runs down the information for Becs and then asks his opinion. They come to an agreement fast.

  “Find out if he works for him or if he was contracted out. Also, find out what else he knows and if he has stored that information other places that we need to know about. Either way, he goes. He knows too much about Ravage,” Becs says.

  “Agreed,” Pops replies.

  Pops turns to Dagger and Rhys. “You two take Tug and Buzz up to Alta. Get everything you can on this man. Need to know if he stored Ravage shit somewhere. Get all electronics from him and find out if he has a safe or a safety deposit box. Chat with him nicely and see what you come up with. Then take care of it.” Dagger and Rhys nod in approval. I knew he’d ask Buzz to go because he’s a tech genius, me I am a little surprised about. The level of trust Pops just gave me is not taken lightly.

  Rhys stands. “We telling GT this shit? Cause right now, he’s got his hands full.”

  “No. Leave him out of this. Let him deal with Angel so he can get his fucking head screwed back on right. Sooner he does, the better off we all are. Cruz, Zeb and Breaker stay here in case of blowback.” Pops rubs his hands over his face and through his hair. No doubt all the shit that happened to Shaina and Casey has been weighing him down. No offense, but I wouldn’t want that kind of responsibility.

  My thoughts drift to Blaze and there is no way in hell I want to leave her right now, but I have no choice. “Can one of the guys keep tabs on Blaze?” I turn and ask Pops.

  “Shit,” he mutters, threading his fingers through his hair and giving it a tug. “Yeah. I’ll have her covered.”

  I nod, giving him affirmation and a thank you for doing this for me.

  “Done. Let’s go,” Rhys says to us as we rise. “Get your shit. You two will drive the cage and Dagger and I’ll follow.”

  Even knowing this is the best option since Buzz needs all his techy shit, I still don’t fucking like it. I hate being cooped up, especially when I could be riding my bike, but it’s what the club needs and what I’ll do without argument. And somehow, I need to keep my mind off Blaze to get it done right.

  “We leave in two hours. Hurry your ass up.” Dagger strolls out of the room and we follow.

  I move over to Breaker, assuming that he will be the one to watch over Blaze. I don’t like it, but I’ll deal. “Hey.” He lifts his chin. “Shitty time to leave Blaze. Need you to keep an eye out.” I let him fill in all the blanks, which he does quickly.

  “You got it,” he says and he’s gone. I need to go get my shit.

  “I gotta leave for a bit. Club business.” My arms go around her body and she loops hers around my waist. Her eyes show a hint of fear, but she blinks rapidly and it vanishes.

  “Okay. I’ll be fine.” She lies flat out and whatever expression I have on my face has her rolling her eyes.

  “Are you okay to go to X?” I ask.

  “Yes. I won’t let this get to me.” I search her face for a hint she is lying to me and find nothing. Such a strong fucking woman.

  “You stay with Princess, when you’re not with her, Pops will have a guy keeping his eye out.” Her brows draw close together and before she speaks I do. “It’ll help my peace of mind.”

  Her body sags into me, the fight she had in her gone. I lower my lips to hers and kiss her. Her lips are so soft, and when her tongue touches mine, I hit it hard. I thread my fingers through her hair, turn her and deepen the kiss, so much so that when it breaks we are both breathless. Damn straight.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” I rub my thumb across her jaw and I’m liking this new Blaze.

  “I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry abo
ut me. In fact, don’t even think about me while you’re gone.” And the new Blaze is gone. Damn. She steps out of my grasp and grabs her things for the shower. “I’m going to shower and then go to X.”

  She only gets two steps in before I snag her around the waist, yanking her body into my chest. She tenses and whatever was going on in bed this morning has left her or she’s hiding it very well. But, her body doesn’t lie. Her breaths pick up and her body begins to relax.

  “You need to go, you’ll be late.” I will if I keep this up, shit. I squeeze her and then release. Whatever is going on will have to wait.

  I kiss her lips, not hard, but sweet. “Be safe,” I whisper to her as she opens her eyes.

  “You too.”

  Four days too long if you ask me. I understand the need for information, but this fucker should be dead already. He doesn’t do anything but go to the office and come home. Nothing. Boring as shit, this dude. Doesn’t even bring his girl here to fuck.

  Where he found out about the T-Darts and how he got himself involved with them is beyond me. Buzz has been typing at his computer day and night. Hell if I know what he’s doing, but I’m getting fucking itchy to get this shit taken care of and get home.

  I’ve talked or texted Blaze a few times each day and her responses are very short. She’s fine, of course, and nothing bad has happened, which is good. If she thinks I’m buying the fine shit anymore after I get back, she’s sadly mistaken.

  I’ve checked in with Breaker and he’s kept his eye on her as per Pops’ request. And luckily, everything’s been quiet. I even put a call into Princess, making sure the security is tight at X. Just in case. She said she was already on it. It isn’t much from here, but it’ll have to do till I get to her.