by Jenika Snow
Scars stayed silent for a few seconds, but his expression was unreadable. “And what if some asshole comes sniffing around her, what then?”
Cadeon tightened his hands into fists. “Then I’ll make it known she is mine. And by making it known, I mean I’ll bust fucking skulls in and make sure there is a lot of blood spilled.”
Scars grunted and narrowed his eyes on Cadeon. “Fuck.” He scrubbed a hand over his head and looked away. “I should kill you for going against a club rule, you know that.” It wasn’t a question. Scars turned around again, and although there was still anger in his face, there was also part of that hard exterior he always wore that was now cracked slightly.
“I’m not going to hurt her, Scars.”
The other man stepped forward and growled low in his throat. That sound seemed suited to some kind of feral animal. “Yeah, you won’t, because if you make her cry one tear, you better believe me and my boys will be coming after your ass.” He eyed Cadeon up and down once. “And you don’t want to know what we will do. Trust me when I say the Vicious Bastards know how to hide a body in the Rocky Mountains.”
Cadeon had no doubts, and although he should have been scared over what Scars was implying, he wasn’t, because he knew he would try with his last breath to make sure Stella was happy, and he would protect her with his life. He didn’t respond to Scars’s threats, and after a few very tense seconds, the other man took a step back.
“Well, you’re serious about my girl, and she is an adult, so not much I can do.” Scars scratched his jaw and glanced over at his Harley. “I think this shit is moving way too fast. One minute, you’re tattooing my daughter, and the next professing you love her.” He didn’t phrase it like a question. “I trust my daughter.” He pointed at Cadeon. “It’s guys like you that I don’t trust. But I’ll be watching, boy, and just waiting for you to fuck up.”
“Yeah, it is fast, I won’t lie, but I’ve known her for three years. Should I have talked to you about how I felt for Stella? Yeah, out of respect, I should have come told you that I wanted her, but I thought I could stay away. I’m telling you, Scars, Stella means a lot to me, and it took me too damn long to realize that.” Cadeon didn’t say anything for a moment, but Scars didn’t either. “And I’m not a boy,” Cadeon gritted out. “I would never hurt Stella.”
This man might be the president of an outlaw MC, but Cadeon wasn’t about to be intimidated either. Scars watched him with a scowl on his face, but finally he nodded once and gave a harsh grunt. Maybe it hadn’t been an all-out brawl, but Cadeon and Scars had come to an understanding, and right now, that was good enough.
Maybe he wouldn’t ever accept Cadeon, but the fact of the matter was he didn’t have a choice. He wasn’t going anywhere, and Stella was his girl.
That realization wasn’t much of a shock to him, and he accepted it as if it were his next breath.
14
“Come for a ride with me.”
Stella looked over at Cadeon. Her father and Booshie had left twenty minutes ago, and she hadn’t realized there had been a lot of tension that had been coming from her dad until he left. Cadeon sported a forming bruise on his jaw, but he waved it off when she asked about it.
He was still alive, so her dad hadn’t shot him with the gun she knew he carried on him. She supposed that was a good thing. “It’s late, and dark.”
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug and pushed away from the counter to stand right before her. “You don’t need the sun to enjoy a ride on the open road.” He lifted a hand and brushed a stray piece of hair back from her face. “God, I had no idea what I was missing.” He said those words softly, but they weren’t a question, and they hadn’t been directed toward her.
It was like he had been speaking to himself, and her pulse increased after hearing him say it. He would never truly know how much those words meant to her, because she had been feeling that way for so long. “Come on, baby, come for a ride with me to clear both our heads.”
She didn’t even need to think about it again, because she wasn’t ready for this night to end. “Okay.” The thought of being so close to him with the wind brushing by them and the ground rushing beneath them wasn’t something Stella wanted to pass up.
She had already missed three years, because she hadn’t been strong enough to confess her feelings, and because Cadeon had never spoken up. But she was young, and she didn’t want to miss any more opportunities. She knew her father would still talk to her, warn her most likely, because he didn’t trust Cadeon—not with her at least—and he would see there was just nothing he could do but accept it.
Cadeon took her hand and led her back into the bedroom. Once she was changed into a pair of jeans and a loose sweater, they headed out of her room and toward the front door. She was no stranger to being on the back of a Harley, and in fact got a thrill from straddling the monstrous piece of machinery.
She locked the front door, and when she turned around, adrenaline immediately starting thrumming through her veins at the sight of Cadeon’s bike sitting at the curb. His grin was infectious, and when she walked toward him, he handed her a helmet. Once it was secured on her head and he was sitting on the motorcycle, she threw one leg over it and sat on the cool leather.
But clearly, she was too far from him, because he reached back and curled his fingers around her waist. In one swift move, he pulled her forward so her breasts pressed to his back and her pussy was right up on him. She instantly became aroused, despite them having had sex that very day.
Tightening her hands around his waist, she closed her eyes when he started the engine, and the bike roared to life. The vibrations were powerful, and no matter how many times she had been on the back of one of these, she never got used to it. It really put into perspective how powerful this vehicle was and that the man or woman operating it had to be strong in their own right just to handle it.
He backed out of the driveway, and in a matter of minutes, they were on the road. Reckless was a small town, and they were exiting it before too long. The thick, lustrous forest lined the road on either side of them, and the only light they had this far out was the moon above them and Cadeon’s lone headlight. Stella rested her cheek on his back and closed her eyes.
The wind was chilly, and a few pieces of her hair came loose from her ponytail, but it was such a freeing feeling being on the back of this bike with nothing keeping her stationary except her arms around his waist. She didn’t know how long they rode in silence with only the sound of their clothing flapping from the wind, the almost angry roar of his engine, and the exhilarated sensation traveling through her.
Living the biker life—well, as much as she had been allowed while growing up—had taught her that being on the back of a Hog didn’t just mean getting a ride. It meant that she was one with the road and in thick with the freedom it all brought. And she felt all those things and more with Cadeon.
The only thing that could stand between them was each other, but even that could be their biggest downfall.
15
The next couple days flew by, but with Stella putting in extra hours each day at her “real” job, and trying to play catch-up with the books at the club, the time had slipped by without her even knowing it. But then again, her nights had been filled with Cadeon coming over and showing her exactly how insatiable he could be.
Her father hadn’t really brought up any more about her choice in men, but he had done a lot of grunting, sighing, and then finally just said that if she was happy, he’d deal with his own shit. But Stella supposed going toe-to-toe with her dad, telling him she was a grown-ass woman and would be with whomever she pleased, had also helped him realize he couldn’t control her anymore.
Yes, he was her father, and she loved and respected him, but she also cared about Cadeon. If this was a mistake, it was hers to make, and she would learn from it. But right now, she was enjoying what she had going with her tattoo artist, and wasn’t that all that mattered?
Even thinking abo
ut how flustered her father had gotten had her smiling. Mickey “Scars” Lore was one stubborn man, but he did back off and give her room on this, at least he was trying, and that was a huge step for him.
The rest of the club was actually pretty on board with her and Cadeon, but then again, they had all mentioned the fact that they hadn’t missed the way she watched him over the years and had placed bets on how long she could last before growing a “set” and talking to him.
Apparently, Cadeon had been far stealthier in noticing her, but she supposed he had a lot more on the line than she had, and starting shit with a biker gang wasn’t the smartest move. Stella didn’t know if any of this would work out, but she wouldn’t know unless she tried, and that was all she could do.
She finished up entering some data into the computer, closed it down, and headed out of her office. She was having dinner with Cadeon tonight, in an actual restaurant and a meal that didn’t consist of a pizza and six-pack of beer.
“Bye, Callie.” She waved at the receptionist, digging in her purse for her keys and cell. It was times like this—the happy moments in life—that she wished she had friends she was close with. Aside from the few acquaintances she worked with and occasionally went out to dinner with, most of her friends from high school had moved out of Reckless once they graduated and hadn’t come back.
There weren’t many opportunities in the small town, but she had been lucky enough to snag an internship position while still attending school, and then once she had her degree, they offered her a part-time position. But Stella kept to herself and always had.
Once in her car and on the road, she felt the excitement at the thought of seeing Cadeon rush through her veins. Eventually, the butterflies would dwindle and the newness of their relationship would fade, but she knew it would always feel right. They hadn’t even classified what they were or given themselves a label.
But Stella didn’t need anything like that. She didn’t need to be called a girlfriend or old lady.
All she needed to be called was Cadeon’s.
16
Cadeon looked at his watch once more and expected Stella to arrive any minute. He would have met her at the restaurant, or at least picked her up, but Ziggy called in sick, and he wasn’t about to leave Naggie all alone to man the entire shop.
Naggie finished up with her last client for the evening, and once they were checked out, he grabbed some designs and put them in a folder. He turned up the music and glanced over at Naggie, who had a grin on her face as she cleaned up her area. “What are you all smiles about?”
She glanced over at him. “Hot date tonight.”
He shook his head and turned to put the designs in a folder. “Hot date?” He snorted yet couldn’t help but smile. “At least you kicked that last douchebag to the curb. Good thing you listened to me.” Teasing her was half the fun.
“Kind of like how I told you to tell that bitch Tally what a skank she is and if she keeps coming around, you’ll sic me on her.”
He started laughing at that. Naggie was small, but she was a fierce little thing.
“But seriously, if I was a guy and had stuck my dick in Tally, I would have soaked my shit in bleach.”
He chuckled, but it wasn’t filled with humor. “Yeah.” He ran a hand over his jaw. “I can’t say I haven’t done shit I royally regret. That’s for fucking sure.”
Naggie finished wiping off her workstation, tossed the paper towel in the trash, and took her gloves off to wash her hands. “So you’re dead serious about the Vicious Bastards chick, huh?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never been surer about anything before in my damn life.”
“But shit, Cadeon, it’s been like… not long at all.”
“I’ve known her for three years, Naggie, and honestly I’m getting sick of people pointing that out.”
She stared at him but showed no emotion. “And you’re old as hell.” She broke out in a grin, and all he could do was shake his head.
The sound of the bell over the front door dinged with someone entering, but when he turned around and saw Tally standing there, he narrowed his eyes. “We’re closed, Tally, and your appointment with Ziggy isn’t until next Monday.” She was wearing her fuck-me heels again and another micro-mini skirt. She would have probably felt more comfortable whoring herself out on the corner of Colfax.
“Yeah, I know, but I thought you and I could finally have that talk.”
Naggie snorted and turned away from them.
“I don’t have anything to talk about. We’ve said all we need to say to last a lifetime.”
She crossed her arms under her chest, further emphasizing her cleavage, but all it caused inside him was disgust. “So, what, you think all I’m good for is a piece of ass?”
Naggie started laughing hard at that, and he turned and looked at her, as did Tally.
“What the hell is so funny?” Tally’s voice had risen an octave, and any minute, he expected her to stomp her foot like a two-year-old having a tantrum.
Naggie turned around, still laughing, but her humor slowly faded when she stared at Tally. “You want to know what I think is so funny?”
“That’s what I fucking asked,” Tally sneered out.
Naggie shook her head and glanced at him with this expression on her face that he knew was one part humor and three parts she was about to slap a bitch.
“I think it’s funny that you are such a stupid, whoring bitch and can’t take your head out of a man’s lap long enough to realize that Cadeon doesn’t want you.”
Tally squeaked. “What did you just say to me?” She may have six inches of height on Naggie, even without the heels on, but she was no match for the spitfire that lived within Naggie.
“You heard every damn word I said. I’m not the first person to ever tell your slutty ass to get the fuck out of here, and I know I won’t be the last.” Naggie snorted again. “Hell, this isn’t even the first time I’ve told you to keep your hands off what isn’t yours.”
Tally flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked at him. “Cadeon, are you going to let your employees talk to a customer like that?”
“You’re not a customer, and you need to leave.” For a moment, which was far too long as it was, no one said anything. Tally looked between him and Naggie, and then back at him again. “Leave, Tally. My girl is going to be coming by, and I want you the fuck out of here before you can start shit with her too.”
She narrowed her eyes. “So I’m not good enough for you to go exclusive with, but some tramp in town is?”
He growled low in his throat and was surprised by how threatening the sound actually was. “Watch it, Tally. I was barely putting up with you before, but if you start bad-mouthing my woman, I’m going to get really pissed.”
“What, going to hit me?”
He grinned, but it wasn’t humorous at all, and her smug little smile left her. “No, I don’t hit women, even ones like you.”
“But I do.” Naggie grinned and cracked her knuckles. “In fact, I have been doing a damn fine job of keeping my anger in check since the last time you and I met at the bar. Remember?”
Tally narrowed her eyes even further, which now made her look like she needed glasses. “Yeah, how can I forget? You threatened to smash my face into your windshield if I hit on your boyfriend again.” Tally tossed another piece of hair over her shoulder. “I was drunk and would have never hit on him to begin with. Guys that are all pierced up like that don’t do it for me.” She eyed Naggie up and down. “But I can tell you like the freaks, given as you are one.”
Right before he knew Naggie would have attacked Tally’s ass, the bell on the front door rang again. He turned and saw Stella walk in, and of course she arrived at the least convenient time.
She stopped and looked among the three of them. “Hey,” she greeted them, but there was a wariness in her voice. No doubt she could feel the thick, strangling sensation of annoyance, anger, and tension that lined the air.
He looked at Tally when he heard her grinding her teeth. She was staring at Stella with this narrowed-eyed and glaring expression.
“This is the bitch you picked over me? Some MC biker brat?” Tally asked in an outraged voice. “She’s fat as hell.”
He made a low, threatening sound, but before he could put Tally in her place, Stella spoke.
“Excuse me?” She took a step toward them, and an outraged expression was on her face. “You’re talking about me?” She pointed to herself as if she were truly surprised that she had just been dropped in this situation.
Tally didn’t respond but instead crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Stella.
Although Stella had it phrased as a question, there was hardened anger and disbelief in her voice. Tally knew who Stella was, seeing as she lived in Reckless too, and knew she was thick in the biker life. But Tally wasn’t the smartest woman he had ever come across, and her self-image was set high above everyone else’s.
She was also jealous, and she was allowing that to cloud the common sense part that should have been yelling at her not to fuck with Stella or Naggie. She was stepping into a territory she wouldn’t walk away unscathed from. Both females could eat Tally alive and still be hungry for seconds.
Pride filled him at the thought that his woman could handle what was thrown her way, and that was clear by her stance, the look on her face, and the fact that she had said something in defense. Cadeon stared at Stella and knew without a doubt he loved her. Christ, did he love her. He loved seeing the strength pour from her, even if it was during this small confrontation.
“You always go around insulting people you don’t even know?” Stella stepped closer to them, and there was a bite to her words.
“I call it like I see it.” Tally all but sneered.
“Stella, I wouldn’t worry about this skank or think much on her verbal vomit,” Naggie said in a singsong voice that was filled with a whole lot of dislike thrown Tally’s way.