“Aye. Ah will be getting ye a stun gun as soon as ye gets into town. Maybe some self-defense classes with Nera. Fucking woman in mah life being taken. Not gonna happen anymore.”
I shook my head. Always so protective, but I wasn’t going to tell him no. Truthfully, that all sounded good. I figured getting taken was like getting hit by lightning, it probably wouldn’t happen again. But I’d rather have some defense if it does.
“Ok.” I agreed. No fight there.
“Ah will see ye in Portree, text me when ye’re in.”
“What about the Lachlan thing? Any words for me?” I was hoping he would say It’s about time, or something.
“Aye, don’t give up. Love is always worth the fight. No matter how stubborn the mind may be, the heart always wins.” With that, he said he had to go and we disconnected. I burned those words into my mind. I would be doing just that. Not giving up. Lachlan was mine, he always was.
Chapter Five
Lachlan
“Aw come on wee bro. Give up, we all know ye ain’t got it in ya.” Grant commented. Us brothers were playing poker around the table. Findley, and Aiden had folded. It was between me and Grant. Winner took home twenty bucks, three sugar cookies, and choice of dinner for tonight. Grant thought he had the win in the bag. Well, I learned to be good at poker in my travels over the years. He didn’t stand a chance.
“Do it Lach, kick his ass.” Aiden piped up. I heard the smack of his head from ma. I wanted to laugh but I kept my face stoic. Grant laid down his cards.
“Full house, wee bro. Ah think we will be having Haggis tonight.” He teased. It was a good hand, but alas I would win. I always won. Without taking my eyes off of his, I lowered my cards. I heard a few hoots and gasps but kept my eyes on Grant. I relished in the moment as his eyes looked down at my cards. His head fell back and he stood up.
“Seriously, ye had tae be cheating!” He started pacing. It was hard not to laugh, so I did. I had been back in Scotland for a few days and tonight was Christmas eve. We weren’t really doing anything as a family, just hanging out. The girls were talking about what they were going to get from Santa. It was nice to be surrounded by happy people. Almost naive to what all was happening in the world, thing I dealt with daily.
The sound of a knock on the door echoed around the room. I looked at Ma as she got up to go answer it. I wondered who would be coming in. I slowly reached around my back and gripped the handle of my gun that I had stashed behind my waistband. Ready for danger. I heard Ma scream only to be followed by what sounded like tears. I jumped up, about to run to her when she entered the kitchen with someone behind her. Her face was lit up with happy tears.
“Look who just showed up.” She moved to the side revealing the guest.
“Lily.” Her name slipped from my lips on a whisper. I was stunned, why was she here? She looked around and waved at everyone. The family snapped out of their shock and swarmed her. Giving her hug after hug. I didn’t know what to do. Playing the game that I hadn’t seen her in a while, I put on my poker face from earlier.
“Lily bug.” I saw her flinch, but I walked up and engulfed her in a hug. One of her small arms wrapped around me high, her fingers delving into the hair at the nape of my neck. Her other around my lower back. I sucked in a breath as her breasts were pressed against my chest. She was molded to me. Torture, pure torture. She gave me a kiss on the skin of my neck. My eyes fluttered closed, she was killing me. Shivers ran down my body and back up right to my cock. I felt it start to stir to life. Time to pull back. I untangled from her arms and took a few steps back, trying to think of anything besides her body against mine. Having a hard on around all of my family was not something I wanted.
“What are ye doing here sweetheart?” Ma spoke up. Lily's hair was pulled up into a bun, she was wearing a sweat shirt that hung down off one shoulder and some legging tucked into boots. For having traveled from New York to Scotland, she looked like a dream. Her cheeks turned pink and I wished I knew what she was blushing about.
“I needed a break from New York, so I thought I would come see my second family. I’ve missed it here.” She smiled at all of us. Her eyes landed on me, she held my gaze for a few moments longer than others. Ma interrupted our stuck gaze by hugging her again.
“How long are ye going tae be in the area? Where are ye staying?” Ma launched into conversation. The rest of the family went on doing other things. I was paying attention to their conversation.
“Um, not sure on how long, and I was going to look for a place to stay after I stopped by here.” She tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear, it was something she did when she lied. Her cue. I learned that back in high school, she could never fool me.
“Nonsense sweetheart, Ye will stay here in Grant’s old room! Let’s take yer things up there and let ye get settled. Lachlan, do ye mind if Ah make something special for dinner tonight?” I nodded no. She was staying here? In Grant’s old room. Which was right next to mine. It was official, life was still punishing me for the killings and wrong doings of my life. It was the only explanation for her being here and staying so close to me. I went to the fridge and grabbed a beer. This little vacation just turned into hell. I waited until Ma left Lily alone before heading up to her room. I knew she wasn’t really here for the reasons she stated, so I wanted the real ones.
She was bent over unzipping her bag when I knocked on the door. She had a fantastic ass, toned, and was the perfect topping to her long, lean dancer legs.
“Come in.” She spoke without looking who was at the door. I took a step inside, wishing I could walk up to her and pull her ass back towards me. Instead, I walked and sat on the computer chair to the right of the bed. Grant’s room hadn’t changed, still boring. Nothing on the walls, except blue wall paper, his desk, and picture of his wife on the desk. He was a minimalist. I looked back at my angel.
“What’s the real reason Lily?”
She slowly let go of the clothes she had in her hand and stood up.
“Lachlan.” She turned and looked me in the eye. I was very good at reading people. But I was confused by the look on her face. She was determined.
“Why are you really here?” I had to know. She bit her lip and took a step toward me.
“You, I need to talk to you.” She kept on walking, suddenly I wished I hadn’t trapped myself in this chair. I had nowhere to go. Instead of watching her hips sway towards me, I counted my chances of standing up without it being weird. The numbers weren’t good. She stopped in front of me and lowered down to her knees. Holy hell.
I held my breath so I wouldn’t groan like I wanted to. Her on her knees in front of me was a dream.
“I want to know the truth about what happened. You said you saved me. How could you have done that?” She looked at me with those beautiful purple eyes. She was pleading with me to be honest with her. It wasn’t going to happen. She would, and should run far from me. Especially if she knew the truth.
“Sorry Lily bug, not gonna crack.” I told her
“Stop calling me Lily bug, . I’m not a child, I’m a grown woman for Christ’s sake.” She was annoyed, I liked to rile her up even though she did have a point. She was a beautiful, warm-blooded woman. One that could bring me to my knees, always could.
“Always be Lily bug to me.” I wasn’t sure what her reaction would be to me teasing but I definitely wasn’t expecting her to put her hands on my knees. My jaw hardened, all lightness has left the room.
“What are you doing?” It was hard to keep my voice from showing the pure pleasure I felt from her hands on me, but I managed.
“I missed you so much.” She spoke softly as her hands slowly started moving up my thighs, then back down. FUCK!
“I could never get you out of my head, Lachlan. You’ve always been there with me.” Her nails scratched against my jeans as she pulled her hands back down towards my knees. She wanted me, fuck, Lily wanted me. It was clear as day. But I couldn’t give in. My cock was growing and b
egging for her hands to go up a little further. I remained still as stone. Her hands watched me for some sort of reaction. I gave her none.
“Where’s your boyfriend, Lily?” I wanted to remind her of him, I was grasping at straws. I didn’t want to be a complete dick to her but I had to get her to stop.
“I left him as soon as I got home, there’s only one man I want. One man I’ve ever wanted.” I had to get the hell out of there.
“Good for him. You’ll always be a lucky catch.” My hands gripped hers, stopping her exploration and torture of me.
“You know who I’m talking about Lachlan. You can’t keep denying it. I see it in your eyes.” She looked at me, daring me to admit it.
“Not gonna happen, Lily.” I lightly took her hands off me and stood. Her face was right by my dick. Poor decision to move.
“I’m not letting you go Lachlan, not this time.” She stood and leaned up to give me a kiss on the cheek then walked out of the room. Leaving me there with so much shit going on in my head. Lily wanted me. Had wanted me for a long time. What the hell was I going to do? I knew I should leave Scotland. Get the hell out before my resolve cracked, but damn if I didn’t want to stay and burn in hell for a drop of her presence.
I felt my cock straining against my zipper, that needed to be taken care of first. Then I would stay, but couldn’t let Lily comprise me. She didn’t belong in my world. She didn’t belong with me. She was too pure, all starlight. I had about one week left before my next job, and then I’d be gone again. I would be a fleeting thought in her head.
Chapter Six
Lachlan
With hard strides, I walked out of Grant’s room and went into mine. I needed a shower and a good stroke to alleviate the pressure from Lily’s touch. Grabbing a towel and some clothes to change into, I walked across the hall to the shower we all had to share and stripped down.
It took maybe five long strokes in the shower before I came on the tiled wall. Lily worked me up and lit me on fire just being near me. I tried to have sex with women after I got into the mercenary business, but meaningless sex was pointless sex. Sure I got off, sometimes, but it wasn’t satisfactory. My body knew who it belonged to, it didn’t want anyone else. So for years, I haven’t cared to find a woman to ease any edge. I took care of myself, it was the only way I could be near her. In my head.
After I was done, I dried off and changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt. I prayed my dick could stay under control while we were around my family.
I put my dirty clothes in the hamper and headed downstairs. Everyone was chatting while Ma cooked dinner. I didn’t know what it was but it smelled delicious.
“Lachlan. Glad ye could join us son. Ah was just talking with Lily about that one time ye and Wolfe talked her into eating that pie ye made out of mud and whipped cream.” Dad started cracking up with laughter. It was a precious memory I carried of her in my head. We did lots of things to her. Pranks of all sorts. But she always got us back. She was always plotting her revenge.
“That is a good one.” I smiled. Laughing about the good old times.
“Remember when I put make up on Lachlan’s face before he had a date with Cindy Homer in 9th grade. He should have known better than to take a nap before a date while I was around.” Lily retorted with a memory of her own. She wasn’t one to take things and not dish it back out. It was one of the many qualities I admired about her. She wasn’t afraid, she was brave, and strong. I heard a little nagging in the back of my head saying she was strong enough to be with me. But I quashed it down.
“So Ma, what’s for dinner?” I left Lily with dad and went to give Ma a kiss on the cheek. Subtly observing what she was making.
“A surprise. Now move yer tush.” She bumped me away. So much for motherly love. I scoffed of fake heartbreak while moving over to another sibling. They were all too busy for their brother. Suckers. I decided it was a time to take a break from people and go outside.
I lived my life for the most part alone. Occasional trips home or stopping by to see my little Laoch and Wolfe were about it. I enjoyed being alone. No one was around to witness the darkness that tended to overcome me. As I sat down at the little table set facing the trees, I cleared my mind, letting go of pain, letting go of happiness, letting it all empty from me.
“You’re looking very somber over there. You doing ok?” Lily’s voice broke though the silence. I kept my eyes closed and answered her.
“Just clearing my mind.”
“I could be there for you, you know. A support system. If only you’d let me in.” Her words hit me in the chest. I’d given up hope of a life with her a long time ago. It just wasn’t meant to be, despite me longing for that life with all of my being.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about Lily bug.”
“Call me Lily bug one more time Lachlan.” She threatened. Curiosity strolled through my veins. What was she going to do? Get pissed and walk away? Good.
“Aw come on Lily bug you used to love that name.” I was an asshole. I smiled, still with my eyes closed.
God I wished I hadn’t called her Lily bug again. Soft lips crashed against mine. A hiss tore through me. Taking advantage of my surprise, Lily’s tongue snuck out and licked the seam of my lips. Holy hell. I was tensed and ready to strike. Radical feelings to wrap my hand in her hair and hold her against my lips assaulted me. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her back and fuck her until the only thing she knew was me. Everything I felt for her came back times ten. I was about to lose control. I felt it, the snap. I couldn’t let it happen. She had no idea she was kissing such a monster. A monster who killed his own brother.
I stilled and slowly pushed her back. Eyes opened, looking at hers. They were filled with desire, and anger.
“That won’t happen again. You’ve always been like a little sister to me, Lily. Don’t try to fuck that up.” I bit out. I was close to snapping. So close.
“Sell your bullshit somewhere else, Lachlan. You may have been pushing me away for the past eight years but I’m not letting you do it anymore.” She stood and looked much like Nera. A determined little shit. A warrior.
“Go home, Lily. Go back to your life.” I stood up and told her. She looked at me with hate in her eyes. Good.
“I’m not going anywhere, Lachlan.” She stood her ground, not moving or running away.
“Things aren’t going to end well for you then.” I told her straight up before leaving to go back inside. I needed to end this, like now.
We ate dinner as a family and gushed over memories of the past. After dinner, we all sat in the living room and continued to talk and wind down.
“So wanna go with me to Cat’s Meow tonight?” I looked at my brother Findley. He wanted me to go to a strip club with him. Why? I felt daggers being nailed into my back and looked at Lily who was sitting close enough to hear what Findley had said. She obviously did not like the thought of me being somewhere like that, even though I had no interest in doing that at all. I agreed. Maybe Lily would see me as the asshole I was and move on.
“Sounds good.” I would be asking him why he wanted to go. It wasn’t like him to be at a place like that. He gave me a halfhearted smile and looked back at our family. I glanced briefly towards Lily but she had left the room. I sighed to myself. It was better this way. I kept reminding myself that over and over. I didn’t see her for the rest of the night and by the time Findley and I left, I still hadn’t seen her.
“So why do you want to go to a strip club?” I asked as I plopped down in the passenger seat of his car. He sighed.
“Yeah, Ah figured ye would find it odd.” He put the car in gear and started driving towards the club. I kept silent and waited for him to explain. He did. He told me all about this girl named Melissa. She was smart and bright but fell into stripping to pay for her drunk dad and help her mother who already worked two jobs. Fin had fallen head over heels in love and wanted to help her. So he went to the club often and every time he tried to get her to
stop, that they would figure it out. I felt bad for him. I vowed in my head that I would check her out. See if she had feelings for him but couldn’t quit for the reasons he said or if it was just not mutual.
The Club was quite busy when we walked in. Three girls were dancing on the separate smaller stages. Lonely men on Christmas eve were devouring them with their eyes. I hated being in places like this. All I thought about were how these men were dogs and almost no better than the scum bags who sold girls for their flesh.
“There she is.” Fin pointed to a blonde with long legs with cut off shorts and a fancy bra on serving drinks to some guys. One of the men grabbed her ass, obviously harassing her before a bouncer stepped in and told him to back off. I looked at Fin. His jaw was hard and his face held rage. I didn’t blame him, if that was my girl that man would be dead by now. She turned to leave the men and her eyes caught Fin’s. I didn’t even have to talk to her to see she loved my brother back. Her face was filled with love and regret. Something was going on that she couldn’t leave this place, but it definitely wasn’t because of Fin.
“I’m gonna go talk tae her. Ye’ll be ok for like an hour?” He asked, I could see he felt bad bringing me here but maybe he just needed support from his brother. I nodded.
“Yeah, go get her. I’ll be alright.” I looked around, not really wanting to go sit and watch some girl dance in front of me. I saw a gentleman who looked like some sort of manager and walked over to him.
“I want one of the private rooms, no dancers please. I’ll pay for the hour.” I told him, he looked at me like I was nuts.
“No girls, eh? Ye sure about that?” He wanted more money.
“Positive.” I grabbed a hundred out of my pocket and handed it over. He was still looking at me like I was nuts but took the money and walked me back behind the stage and through a long red hallway then opened a door.
Blinding Lights (Lights of Scotland Book 2) Page 3