Zero Apologies

by Autumn Jones Lake

She blinks and stares at the ceiling for a second before meeting my eyes. “No.”

  “Come here.” I carefully pull out and kneel on the bed next to her. “Up. Time for you to do some work.”

  “I can’t. Wait, what?”

  “Sit up.” I slap her ass to get her moving. “Come on.”

  I grab her hips, guiding her back to me. “There you go. Careful.”

  “Oh my God.” She bolts forward. “That’s intense.”

  “I know. Come on. You control it. Show me how much you like my cock in your ass.”

  “Dirty bastard,” she mumbles which makes me laugh.

  My laughter turns into a groan when she works herself down my cock. “Fuck, that’s fucking tight.” I lean in and scrape my teeth over her shoulder. “Best wedding present you could’ve given me.”

  “And to think, I almost bought you a watch instead.”

  I roar with laughter and she yelps. “Easy, caveman.”

  “Sorry. Where’s the vibe?”

  “Here somewhere.” Her words come out low and breathless and she starts rocking up and down faster.

  “That’s it, pretty girl,” I encourage. “Take what you need.”

  My hand finally lands on the vibrator and I pass it to her. She flicks it back to life and moans when it touches her.

  “Come for me.” I’m practically begging now.

  “Oh.” Her wails increase in volume. Maybe they will hear us down in the main room. Over the music. Not that it would ever make me regret this night.

  “Oh fuck.” I squeeze my eyes shut as she clamps down tight around me. But it’s too late. I’m about to come hard and fast right along with her.

  Lilly

  Z stays buried in my ass. For hours. I’m certain of it. The painful pleasure of it teeters back and forth, always somehow landing on pleasure. A slow, glowing ember that he stokes into blistering flames well into the night.

  Finally, we’re spent. I barely have the strength to follow Z into the shower and clean up.

  “You all right?” He kneads my ass and kisses the backs of my thighs.

  “How can you be sweet after you just did such dirty things to me?” I reach behind me and run my fingers through his damp hair.

  “You get every part of me, pretty girl.” He stands and molds himself to my back. “You want me to romance you, I’m your man. You need me to protect you, I’m prepared to slit a motherfucker’s throat.” He stops and kisses my shoulder. “You want me to fuck you like you’re my dirty little girl, I’m up for the job. Whatever you need.”

  “God, you’re so romantic.”

  He shrugs and gives me a half-smile. “You bring it out in me.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Lilly

  Z pounces on top of me and presses his lips to mine. “How do you feel this morning?”

  “Like I was thoroughly fucked.”

  He chuckles and leans down, kissing the ticklish spot between my neck and shoulder. “I want my wife to feel that way every morning.”

  “I don’t think my ass can take it.”

  He scowls and sits back. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “No.” I reach up and touch his cheek. “Never.”

  “Good.” He grabs my hips and encourages me to roll over. “Because now that your ass is on the menu, I have some other toys in mind.”

  “Oh dear god,” I mumble into my pillows.

  “Maybe a fluffy kitty tail.” He squeezes one cheek, then lightly slaps the other. “Definitely a bigger plug.”

  My laughter’s muffled by the pillows. “What did I unleash?”

  He flops down next to me. “A monster. What did you expect?”

  “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I ask Z for maybe the tenth time this morning.

  “You’re my wife now. I don’t want to be responsible for you never seeing your brother.”

  “I think you’re underestimating how much of a jerk he can be.”

  “You met some of the bikers I have to deal with, siren.” There’s a sardonic twist to his lips. “I underestimate no one’s capacity for assholery.”

  Something about his words makes me laugh and I snuggle up next to him. He leans down and kisses my forehead. “Are you sure you don’t mind driving up by yourself? I hate not going with you.”

  “I don’t think you should leave the clubhouse while Priest is here,” I whisper. For some reason I’m paranoid about the national president’s ability to hear every word we say about him.

  “I have a feeling he wants to sit down with everyone before Sway gets here.” He glances at the clock. “Hell, he may be trying to meet with them now, without me around.”

  “Should you get out there?”

  “Nah, I have nothing to hide. What are they going to say, that I’m a shitty president? Fuck ‘em. I’m happy to go home.”

  “You’re not a shitty president, Z. I may not know much about this yet, but I can see how much all the guys respect you.” I brush my lips over his chest. “Rock seems really proud of you. And I have a feeling if he thought you were a shitty president, he’d have no problem saying so.”

  “Isn’t that the truth.” He brushes his fingers over my shoulder absently. “I hate that he’s worried he’s holding me back or some shit because I don’t want the president gig.”

  “You two have been friends a long time and ran the upstate club together for a long time. I’m sure it’s hard on him.”

  “It’s hard on me.” He gestures toward the door. “I trust these guys. But it’s not the same. Rock doesn’t have to even open his mouth for me to know what he’s thinking. He’s saved my life so many damn times…” He shakes his head. “I like Rooster, but it’s hard to put that kind of trust in him.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to since he’s a brother?”

  He side-eyes me. “Yes, smarty-pants. You know what I mean, though.”

  “I do. You don’t have the same amount of history or years of trust built up. It will come with time.”

  He sigh-growls an unhappy noise.

  “Well, Sway’s coming home, right?” I remind him. “Think he’ll take over soon?”

  “Don’t know yet. I’ll get a better feel after tonight.”

  “Come on.” I give him a little shove. “I need to get dressed if I’m driving Chance up to Alex’s place.”

  “You’re sure he’s all right with keeping him overnight?”

  “Yup.”

  Alex is all right with keeping Chance. What he’s not all right with is me getting married in California without telling him.

  “Are you serious, Lilly?”

  “Jesus, Alex, what did you want to do, give me away?”

  “Maybe. What about Mom and Dad, they’re going to be upset.”

  “Alex, think long and hard about it, how do you think that wedding would have gone? Would it have been a nice, loving family affair? Or a roaring dumpster fire that ended in yelling and screaming? Think about it, I’ll wait.”

  “Isn’t that what family functions are supposed to be?” he grins at me.

  “Maybe for you, since that’s all we knew growing up, but I’m tired of it, Alex. I want some peace in my life.”

  “And you’re getting that from the biker gang?”

  Instead of snapping at him, I consider the question. Peace might not be the right word. Last night had been loud and eventful. Except for Stella’s appearance, everyone had been happy to celebrate our wedding and treated me with kindness and respect. “Honestly, yes. Z’s brothers have all been good to me.” I reach down and ruffle Chance’s hair. “And our son.”

  He heaves out an annoyed sigh. “They’re never going to stop torturing me about getting married now, you know that, right?”

  My laughter sounds completely evil. “Not my problem.”

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Z

  Sending Lilly off on her own to deal with Alex didn’t sit well with me. But she was right. I can’t disappear for a couple hours while Priest
is here. At best he’ll pester Rock. At worst, Priest will consider it a sign of disrespect.

  Good call too, because as soon as he sees me, Priest motions for me to join him. “Since both clubs are here and the old ladies will be off doing their thing, how do you feel about all of us sitting down together?”

  “Do you want to wait for Sway?” I ask without thinking.

  “No, Z. I don’t.”

  Alrighty then.

  “I’ll ask Rooster to round everyone up.”

  At least that buys me some time to hunt down Rock and Rooster so I can grill them.

  Rooster’s the unlucky bastard I encounter first. “Anyone in your room?” I ask.

  “No, why?”

  “Good.” I shove him inside and close the door behind us.

  “Z, I love you, brother, but I don’t swing that way. Unless you and Lilly need me to be your neutral third—”

  “Stop right there.”

  He grins at me. “Why so fierce, brother?”

  “Well, for starters, you suggested I might let you near my wife, when there is absolutely zero chance of that ever happening.”

  “I’m just fucking with you.” He waves at the small table and two chairs. “Have a seat.”

  “You talk to Priest yet?”

  He nods slowly. “Ran into him early this morning.”

  “And?”

  “He wanted to feel me out.” He shrugs. “I’m new at this VP thing, so I expected that.”

  “Anything else?”

  He blows out a breath and glances away. “He wanted my honest opinion on whether Sway should lead the club again.”

  Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  “And you told him?”

  “Honestly, I didn’t know what the fuck to say, Z.” He gives me this tortured look that almost makes me feel bad for putting him in this position. “I don’t want to betray Sway and speak bad about a brother. But I can’t lie. You two are night and day when it comes to running this club. I never woulda thought about it or noticed the difference if Sway hadn’t left. But now that I know what this club is capable of under a good president, I can’t unknow it.” He hangs his head. “I’m sorry, brother. I know that’s not what you want to hear. You still want to go home and I get that.”

  I’m too choked up to respond right away.

  “You think I make that much of a difference?”

  He squints up at me. “Are you trying to play humble or are you really that dense, bro? Come on. Sway wasn’t a dictator exactly, because none of us ever challenged him, but you’re a true leader. You don’t do shit without telling us. You’re steering us in the right direction. Fuck, the clubhouse alone looks better.”

  “You guys did that,” I mutter.

  “Because you opened everyone’s eyes and forced us to take some pride in this club.” He shakes his head. “You’re not so wrapped up in trying to fuck every woman who isn’t your wife that you ignore all the other shit going on around this place. There’s no reason he shouldn’t have known what Shadow was up to behind our backs. None. Or that Shadow was skimming money from the club. But he’s been too busy playing grab ass with Stella and her porny friends to notice.”

  I snort. “Porny?”

  He shrugs. “Pornstar plus horny.”

  “Genius.”

  “Can I finish?”

  “Rooster, that’s a legit business venture and it’s bringing money into the club.” I feel forced to defend Sway, which is a position I don’t particularly enjoy.

  “It is. Totally. And it should’ve been making us more money a fuck of a lot sooner. It probably would’ve if he let some of us help him with the business side. He knows dick about the tech side of things. But he was too worried about turning it into his own personal porny soap opera.”

  Since I’d been on the prickly end of that particular stick when I was “dating” Stella, I understand exactly what Rooster’s saying.

  “No one can force you to stay, Z.”

  “Well, I think someone can.”

  He huffs. “Priest will fuss over us for a little longer, then we’ll go back to not seeing or hearing from him again for another five or ten years. We’ll forget we even have a national president.”

  Normally, I might agree with that statement. But after the events of the last year and the conversation I had with Priest last night, I have a feeling we can all expect more face time with our national prez.

  “How do you feel about having a support club?” This will come up in our sit-down with Priest, so I want Rooster’s opinion.

  He pauses. “It’s a good idea in theory. But the ones we had hanging around here a few years back were nothing but trouble.”

  “We have someone in mind.” Actually, I still haven’t sat down with Murphy to talk to him about this yet. Fuck. I don’t bother pondering why I went directly to Rooster, my VP first. “It might be upstate’s problem more than ours.”

  “Bro, I think upstate and downstate are going to be one in the same in a few more years.”

  “Yeah,” I admit. “Priest asked about that last night. Rock and I explained it would be unleashing chaos if we start claiming the whole state.”

  “Oh, for sure. But we’re far enough north, just call it upstate and be done with it. Anyone south of Long Island considers this “upstate” anyway.” He squints at the door. “Capital region might be a stretch.”

  “Might piss off the Wolf Knights too.”

  “Right.”

  He shrugs. “Who gives a fuck, really? Christ, what’s Priest’s problem? He invest in a thread company and want to print up some new bottom rockers or something?”

  I rumble with laughter for a solid minute. “Maybe.”

  After wrapping up my conversation with Rooster, I head to Murphy’s room. As he’s done to me so many times, I bang on the door and twist the knob without waiting for an answer.

  Locked. Damn.

  A rumpled Heidi wearing nothing but a bedsheet answers the door.

  I smack my hand over my eyes and shake my head in misery. “I can’t deal with this right now, Heidi. You’re still like eight in my head. Where’s your other half?”

  She laughs and grabs the arm covering my eyes, trying to pry it loose. “Knock it off, Uncle Z. Geez. I have a daughter and I’m about to get married for the second time. I’m pretty sure you must have figured out that I know what s-e-x is by now.”

  “I prefer not to think of what that big ginger yeti does to my sweet innocent Heidi behind closed doors.”

  “Morning to you too, fucker,” Murphy growls.

  I open my eyes and find him standing behind Heidi with his hands on her shoulders. “Aw, Christ, put some damn pants on.”

  Heidi rolls her eyes and ducks out from between us. “I’m going to get dressed and go to the house. Poor Carter’s probably ready for a break by now.” She glances over her shoulder. “I assume you’ll all be at the table for a while?”

  “Looks like it, Heidi-girl.”

  “Hope said she was inviting Valentina over.” She bites her lip. “I feel bad Lilly’s not here though.”

  “She’ll be back,” I assure her, impressed by her thoughtfulness as usual.

  Murphy watches Heidi the whole time she gathers her clothes until she shuts the bathroom door. “What?” he asks without turning my way.

  “You two aren’t even married yet and you’re in that creepy honeymoon phase.”

  He’s still wearing the same dopey smile he has every time Heidi’s around. “Doubt that’ll ever go away. Never get tired of my girl.” He chuckles and leads me over to the chairs in the corner. “Besides, look who’s talking.”

  Can’t really argue with that but it’s fun to bust his balls.

  “What’s got you all twisted up this fine morning?” Murphy asks.

  “What do you think?”

  “The special meeting Priest is so eager to have with us before Sway gets here?”

  “Boy, you really are smarter than you look.”

  “No
w you’re just being mean.”

  “He talk to you yet?”

  “Someone knocked on the door earlier.” He smirks. “But we were busy.”

  “Christ. I hope it wasn’t poor Teller.”

  He turns his phone over and checks the screen. “Nah, he would’ve sent me a cranky text.”

  “I need to tell you what went down last night.”

  Murphy gestures in the direction of my room. “Walls are thin, bro. I’m aware of what went down.”

  “You wish.” I glare at him. “I’m serious.”

  Finally, he wipes the lazy grin off his face and sits up. “Hit me.”

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  I give him a quick outline of Priest’s concerns finishing with the suggestion we form a support club. “Now don’t get mad, but I threw your little fighter buddies in as potential support club founders. I was desperate for something to get him off our backs.”

  Murphy sits back and nods slowly. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s a bad idea.” He sneaks a glance at the still-closed bathroom door. “I’m going out there in a few days, I’ll feel Remy out.”

  “Jesus Christ. She’s gonna fucking murder you if she finds out you’re still fighting.”

  “Club business.”

  “No, it’s not. And she’s not dumb enough to fall for that either. You really are a dipshit sometimes.”

  “You of all people giving me this lecture is hysterical. Now that you’re wifed up you’ve got all the answers, huh?”

  “More selfish than anything, bro. We’re too short-handed to have you wind up in the hospital.”

  He flicks his wrist like it’s a stupid concern. “We risk that every time we straddle a hog, brother.”

  “That’s different.”

  Heidi opens the door and breezes out. “Everything okay?”

  “Yup.” Murphy curls his finger and beckons her closer. “You leaving right now?”

  “I think I better.” Her gaze darts to me as she settles into Murphy’s lap. “I assume you need him.”

  “Need to punch him maybe,” I grumble while Murphy’s busy groping Heidi’s ass and licking her neck. “Seriously?”