by Sam Crescent
I kissed my wife before turning toward my best friends. He looked sad. Our men were all gone. “You okay?”
“The cleaning crew is outside. I figured I’d let you finish your little declaration before I brought you in.” He turned to Aurora. “It’s nothing special he’s gotten you. A month alone with him on a honeymoon vacation. In the meantime, I get to step in here and deal with his shit.”
“You’re babysitting,” I said. “Nothing more.”
Ivan rolled his eyes. “Let’s get out of here.”
He looked pissed off. Not that I could blame him. Cara, Ivan, and I went back a lifetime. We were each other’s best friend. The one person in the whole world we could rely on.
Leaving the building, I put Aurora in my car and told her to stay. I walked to Ivan, who stood watching as the building began to burn.
“I thought you said the cleaning crew was here?” I asked.
“It is. They’re doing what I told them.”
I glanced over at the building. The flames were engulfing it, taking up all of Cara’s betrayal in smoke. “You okay?”
“Yeah. It just goes to show you never really know anyone, right? Cara was supposed to be on our team.”
“Who did she mean?” I asked.
“What?”
“It sounded to me like she thought you betrayed her. Who was the woman?”
Ivan smirked. “There is no woman.”
The lie was easy to detect.
“Remember who we are, Slavik,” Ivan said, putting his sunglasses on. “And if you ever betray me, your wife will belong to me. I’ll keep you alive just to make me watch you hurt her.”
“I won’t ever betray you.”
He looked at the house. “Funny, Cara once said the same thing.”
There was a difference between me and Cara. I wasn’t in love with Ivan, and I didn’t feel cheated.
I watched as Ivan climbed into his car, and he snapped his fingers for his driver to start moving.
I went back to Aurora.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“For us, yes. For Ivan, that I can’t tell.” I cupped her cheek, drawing her in close. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to wish you a happy birthday.”
She smiled. A true, honest, full-faced smile, and I was smitten.
“I wanted to hate you,” I said.
“And now you love me?”
“Yes. You always told me that you were second best, but I promise you, Aurora, you’ll always be my first.” I took possession of her mouth, holding her tight to me. The building in flames faded behind us.
I was never going to let this woman go. She never stood a chance.
I loved her. There was no denying that, and I never intended to hold back. Aurora would have all of me, the parts I didn’t let anyone else see.
“Slavik,” Aurora said.
“Yeah.”
“I love you.”
I smiled. “Call me Vik.”
Epilogue
Aurora
Five years later
We’d left the penthouse apartment after my first pregnancy, and Vik found us a country home. It was a modest seven-bedroom set back in the countryside with a nice expanse of garden. He made sure to have a pool as well as a gym installed on the grounds. There was always plenty of guards.
Ever since Cara’s betrayal, Ivan stopped allowing anyone to get close to him. He didn’t accept visitors, and he’d even kept Vik at arm’s length. We wouldn’t let him break off his friendship. Even though he terrified me, I always extended dinner invitations as well as special invites for him to come. He kept most of them.
Christmas was the only time I saw the real man, not the boss, the man in charge. Our kids loved him.
Our firstborn we’d named Slavik Ivan Ivanov. When we told Ivan his name, he’d burst out laughing, but we’d seen the joy in his face.
Our little girl came a year later. It would seem Slavik was addicted to getting me pregnant. We named our daughter Hope. Last year, I’d given birth to another son, and true to my husband’s nature, he’d named him Ivan Slavik Ivanov. Yeah, I wasn’t exactly sure about that one, but he wouldn’t budge. Strong names for his boys.
Glancing out the garden, I saw the barbeque was already going and Ivan controlled the grill.
We had Andrei and Adelaide coming, and they were on their way, as well as a few other Brigadiers.
Slavik came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my thickening waist.
“How are my two girls?” he asked, kissing my neck.
“I’m pregnant again. My ankles feel huge, but the doctor has told me I’m healthy.” I leaned back against him.
“You love having my children,” Slavik said.
“If we have another boy, you’ve got to promise me you’ll find another name.” I looked out at the garden. We had two Slaviks and two Ivans in our presence. I chuckled to myself. Baby Ivan was too young to recognize his name.
Our son Slavik kept on going to adult Ivan to see what he wanted.
“Never going to happen. We’re going to have girls from now on, you will see.”
I sighed. Leaning against him. “And what makes you think that?”
“Simple, I’m the boss and your body, it knows this. It will do as it’s told.”
This did make me laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.” He crouched down, his mouth near my swollen stomach. “You hear that, baby girl? You’re going to do as you’re told. Only girls can reside here.”
I kept on laughing, and when he pressed a kiss right on my pussy, I looked around the garden to see if anyone saw. Vik protected me from others, and he glanced up at me with a wicked glint in his eye.
“And this, my pretty cunt, knows what I want.” He kissed me again, and this time, I couldn’t help but close my eyes.
“How did I get so lucky?” I asked.
He got to his feet. There was no answer as he stroked my hair back from my face and I tilted my head back to look at him.
I always hoped for happiness.
Never did I think I’d get it.
Slavik kissed me, and I knew there was no need for any reason or answer. I loved him and he loved me, and against all the odds, we’d found each other and this happiness I’d protect and treasure.
****
Slavik
I was a monster.
A bastard.
A brute.
The thing nightmares feared.
After some of the things I’d done, I never deserved happiness. To feel that, you had to be a good person. I wasn’t good. I was evil to the core, but with Aurora, I knew peace. I knew happiness, and above all, I knew love.
I loved my wife more than anything.
Holding on to her hands, I took the pain as she screamed through the labor, giving birth to our fourth child.
I hated hearing her screams. My instinct was always to protect her, to stop the bad things from happening. I held on to her as the doctor told her to push. As per my instructions, the doctor was a woman. There was no way I would allow a man between my wife’s thighs, even to deliver my baby.
I was that fucking possessive of her. She was all mine. I didn’t share. There were times it was a struggle to share her with our kids.
Aurora collapsed to the bed. “It hurts.” She cried out.
“I know. I know. You’ve got this, babe. You’ve got this. I love you so damn much.” A day never went by that I didn’t tell her how I felt.
After all the shit with Cara, I’d learned my lesson. There was no room to wait. Aurora could have been taken from me, and I made sure I never took a single moment for granted. My life was devoted to this woman.
Aurora gripped my hands and squeezed, pushing our baby out. I heard the screams, and I kissed my wife’s head, staring at her.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She sighed. “Yeah, I’m okay.” She turned to kiss my knuckles. “Are you?”
She knew watching her in labor was a
lways a struggle for me. The first time, I’d nearly killed her male doctor and the tension in the room hadn’t been great, which was why I requested, no, demanded, a female doctor. Also, most of the staff had to be female.
My wife smiled at me.
“I’m good.”
I hated when men talked to my woman. All her life she’d been passed over, treated like she was second best, but to me, I knew the truth. She was first, the best, and now, she was all mine. Others already had their chance. I wasn’t giving her back.
Our baby girl was given to us, and I looked down, falling in love all over again. Our children were a fucking joy. I’d never wanted to be a dad. After only knowing pain and rejection from my own father, I’d vowed never to be one myself, but Aurora gave me the strength to be a better person.
“I guess you’re right,” Aurora said.
I chuckled. “About what?”
“My body does follow your orders.”
I kissed the top of her head. “I love you, and I don’t care if it’s a boy or girl. I just want you both to be healthy.”
It was a good thing I told her that, as within two years, she gave birth to another boy, and now, I had to figure out what to name him.
The End
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BONUS SAMPLE CHAPTER
THE BIKER’S DIRTY
LITTLE SECRET
Straight to Hell MC, 2
Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino
Copyright © 2021
Sample Chapter
Heat radiated off the asphalt, the late afternoon sun unrelenting for the fourth day in a row. Brick craved to take his Harley out for a long ride, to feel the cool breeze against his heated flesh. But no, he’d be taking the pick-up truck with no AC into town. Lord’s old lady wanted to start raising laying hens at the club, so he’d been assigned to get all the materials to build a coop. This was definitely the last thing he wanted to be doing today, but no one refused an order from the prez. He wasn’t sure why Lord hadn’t asked one of the prospects to do this shit. As VP of the Straight to Hell MC, he had better things to do with his time.
He pulled the whiny door closed after climbing up into the driver’s seat. The building center was just on the outskirts of town, supplying lumber and other essentials to the area. He rolled down the windows, but even the air felt stale at these temperatures.
The drive was uneventful. He couldn’t complain about much these days. There hadn’t been any club drama for months, and he hoped it would continue. He was still getting used to Ally being a permanent member of the club. The prez’s old lady made Lord a father. Things were changing. Brick wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
He missed the days when he’d run into hellfire by Lord’s side. Now his prez was taking the cautious approach because he had a family to think about, not just the club. Women made men weak—there was no way around that fact.
The building center finally came into view up the road. Brick was sweating through his t-shirt and felt like shit. He couldn’t wait to get back to the club and take a long, cold shower.
He parked in front of the main building and hopped out of the truck. Brick always wore his cut, but in weather like this, he’d gladly break his own rules. He tossed his cut on the passenger seat and tugged off his t-shirt, using it to wipe his brow.
Brick grabbed the list Ally had given him and headed into the building. After entering the lobby, he closed his eyes for a moment and just breathed. The AC felt like fucking heaven.
“Hot out there?”
He opened his eyes. A girl behind the counter stared at him.
“I can handle hot,” he said. “Whatever’s going on outside is next level.”
She giggled in response, a sweet feminine sound. He noticed her gaze roving down his body. He immediately patted himself down in response, feeling for an exposed weapon, but realized it was just because he was shirtless.
He was used to the club whores chasing after him, but this girl looked nothing like them.
“It’s terrible. I don’t have AC at home, so I’ve actually looked forward to coming into work this week. And trust me, that says a lot,” she said.
He stepped closer, leaning against the counter. People didn’t usually talk to him, especially local women. He was used to being feared. The chitchat was somehow refreshing. There was something about this chick and her classic girl-next-door looks that pulled down his walls. She wore her hair in a thick ponytail. It had to be a good two feet long.
Brick shook his thoughts away.
“Sorry, I’m rambling. How can I help you?”
“I don’t mind,” he said. “What’s your name, anyway?”
She pointed to the badge on her shirt.
He ran a hand down his face. “See, the heat is really getting to me. Nice to meet you, Callie.”
She bit her bottom lip, and it was sexy as fuck.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Do you live close by?”
“Not too far,” he said.
It was at that moment he realized she didn’t know he belonged to an MC. In her eyes, he was just another civilian. And he had no desire to fill her in on the truth.
She leaned over the counter on her elbows and slipped him a card. He glanced at it briefly but was more entranced by the intensity of her blue eyes. She even smelled sweet, a subtle vanilla.
“Don’t tell anyone in the yard, but it’s a family discount. You may as well get some use out of it.”
He took the offering. “No family?”
She shrugged. “Just me, but the boss doesn’t need to know that.”
“Thank you, Callie.”
After a cleansing breath, she grabbed a notepad. “Let me get your order before I keep you here all day.”
Honestly, he didn’t mind. For the first time in a long time, he felt human. Back at the club, he was feared, idolized, sometimes hated. And he was dangerous. Addicted to violence.
He slipped her Ally’s list.
“A chicken coop? I’d love to have chickens, but I think my apartment complex would frown upon that.” She winked.
“I guess so,” he said. “Hey, if we’re successful, I’ll be sure to bring you some fresh eggs.”
“We? Are you married?”
“No, no woman. I was talking about my brothers.”
“A big family sounds fun.” She spoke while punching codes into her computer.
He didn’t answer. No sense creating a web of lies when he could keep his mouth shut instead.
Another staff member came in from the back, glancing over at him. Brick raised his chin, an unspoken challenge. He was always ready for a fight. But the guy only set a stack of purchase orders down beside Callie.
“Thanks, Jeff.”
“You okay in here?” he asked. Brick wanted to tell him to fuck off.
“Actually, this is a pretty big order. Can you get a new skid of 2x4s down with the forklift?”
“Yeah. Sure.” He left the way he came, looking over his shoulder at Brick one more time before closing the door. Did he recognize him as a biker? Would he tell Callie?
And when did he start giving a shit about what other people thought?
“I think I have everything on your list.” She handed him back the paper from Ally. “If you pull your truck around back, the boys will load you up as soon as they pull down that wood.”
“Thanks for your help.”
“My pleasure,” she said.
He shoved the list int
o the pocket of his jeans and left the building center. The entire time he waited around back, he kept thinking about the things he should have done and should have said to Callie. It was all he could think about. He barely focused on his surroundings until there was a knock on the side of his truck.
Brick jerked in his seat. He hadn’t even noticed the guy inches from his face.
“You’re all loaded,” said one of the yard hands.
“Thanks.”
He started up the truck and began to ride out of the building lot. Brick had gotten what he came for, and now he could head home. This was what he wanted—short and sweet. Only he couldn’t pull out onto the road. Instead, he did a hard right turn, bringing him back to the front office.
For a good five minutes, he sat there in the truck, trying to convince himself to forget about this town girl and move on with his life. She was nobody. He had no time for socializing outside of the club, and never had any desire to do so. Relationships with outsiders were frowned upon. Besides, once a girl like Callie knew exactly what he was, she’d run the other way and never look back.
I’m a fucking idiot.
Brick went back inside the building center. Callie was at a desk behind the counter. When she saw him enter, she got up and approached the front.
“Was the order all right?”
“Everything was fine,” he said.
Why did he suddenly feel like he was twelve years old, his mouth dry, and nerves on fire? He was completely out of character, and the guys at the club would laugh their asses off if they could see him now.
“Did you want to order something else?”
He ground his teeth together, his jaw clenched. “What time do you get off work?”
“Five. Why?”
“I wanted to thank you for your help. Maybe take you out to dinner or something.”