by Deja Voss
To my surprise she zips my jeans up and gets up from the ground, brushing the pine needles off her ass.
“That’s it?” I ask. “You’re just gonna walk off?
She winks at me over her shoulder as she starts to walk down the path back to the house. “I thought that’s what we did, Brass,” she teases. “Walk off… fall asleep… maybe go inside and crochet a pair of mittens…”
“You’re lucky I can’t spank you right now,” I say, picking her up and throwing her over my shoulder. My hand rests firm on her ass, but I know I need to be gentle with her at least until the bruises fade.
“I guess it depends on your definition of lucky.”
“You’re gonna fucking give me a heart attack,” I mumble. She has no idea what’s coming, but she sure knows how to mash all of my buttons at the same time.
“Well you better hold off on that until I’m in a position to nurse you back to health. We definitely don’t want Gin to be responsible for us. She thinks tequila is the best medicine and she keeps trying to steal my pain pills.”
We get back to the house and I carry her inside. “What do you want to do now?”
“I’m beat. That was a lot. You’re a lot,” she says with a laugh. “This might sound ridiculous, but do you maybe want to cuddle? Or at least hang out and pretend to cuddle until I fall asleep?”
“It’s not ridiculous,” I say. As long as I’ve been waiting to feel her mouth on me, I’ve been waiting even longer just to be able to hold her and lay with her. It’s better than any kinky sex I can imagine. It’s exactly what I’ve needed from her since the day I met her, and now my wishes are all being fulfilled. She doesn’t have to know that, though.
I set her down on the bed and go to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. She’s passed out with a contented smile on her face when I get back, her hair fluffed out on the pillow, a blanket barely pulled up over her. I take off my shirt and spoon up next to her, pulling the blanket up over the both of us.
Before I can close my eyes, my phone starts vibrating in my pocket. I know Rowdy said he was going to smooth things out with Bruiser, but I’m sure they’re gonna want to see me at the clubhouse sometime soon. I pull it out and try not to groan when I see I have ten missed calls from my father’s lawyer. I don’t want to talk to her, but I know I need to.
He’s getting out of jail soon whether I like it or not.
I know one thing for certain though, he’ll never have a chance to do to anyone what he did to my mother ever again.
Chapter Twenty
Jewel:
I wake up alone, and I’m not even sure what day it is. Maybe it’s tomorrow. For all I know it’s been a week. One thing’s for certain, my body is sore in ways it hasn’t been in a long time from our walk in the woods.
I can’t wipe the smile off my face, because as fucked up as everything is right now, it’s strangely perfect. I get out of bed and head to the kitchen, hoping I can scrounge some leftovers from the fridge. My stomach growls loudly enough that it echos off the walls of the cabin. I poke at it and laugh. Brass has definitely been doing a great job at keeping me fed. I’ve eaten more regularly in the last few weeks than I have in the course of my entire adult life.
I go to the fridge and pull out a big bowl of pasta. I spoon some onto a plate and as I’m getting ready to pop it in the microwave I catch a glimpse of something outside the window. Brass is out back with Lazarus. They both have their shirts off, and they’re tossing this big black bag back and forth, while they grunt and do squats. Neither one of them are bad to look at, that’s for sure, and I feel a little tingle between my thighs knowing the bigger, stronger, sexier one is all mine.
I finish heating up my pasta, and open the window, shouting outside. “Do you guys want some water or something?”
“We’re good,” Lazarus shouts, shooting me a thumbs up. Brass doesn’t even seem to hear me. He’s in his own little world, lifting the big heavy sandbag over his head and squatting down to the ground. I get this uneasy feeling in my stomach thinking about how he told me he ran twelve miles this morning. Now he’s doing this? I don’t know much about exercise or fitness, but I can’t imagine his body feels too great right now.
I grab my spaghetti from the microwave and take it back on the back porch to eat. The sun is still high in the sky but there’s a perfect breeze in the air, and I watch with fascination as the two of them seem to do this well coordinated workout without even talking in words, only grunting at each other.
Lazarus stops to wipe his face on a towel and walks up on the porch, plopping down in a chair next to me. Brass is still out there doing push ups and burpees, oblivious to everything.
“I’m sorry, I probably stink,” he says, propping his long legs up over the railing.
“Me too,” I laugh.
I’ve always liked Lazarus. He’s a party boy, that’s for sure, and he’s usually got a different girl on his arm every night of the week, but he doesn’t pretend to be anything he’s not. He’s got a good sense of humor and he’s the kind of person who always makes you feel like you’re part of some inside joke. He’s charismatic and loud, and reminds me a little of Barney without the heroin addiction and bouts of domestic violence.
“Does he ever stop?” I ask.
“If you find out where he keeps his batteries, let me know. I’ve been training with this guy for the last five years and I don’t think he’s ever once quit before me. It’s just in his nature.”
Brass lays down in the grass like a starfish, his face red. He’s breathing so hard, it sounds like he’s struggling to catch his breath. I grab the banister and shout over at him, “Brass! Are you alright?”
He looks like he’s about to die right there in the grass. I instantly start panicking, adrenaline taking over.
I rush down the porch as quickly as I can and drop down next to him. I don’t like this at all.
“It’s fine, babe,” he says through his wheezes, “you’re so sweet. I’m okay. This is just how I cope, alright?”
He sits up and grabs his water bottle, chugging it down. His breath slows down and even though he’s dripping in sweat, he doesn’t look as red as he did a minute ago. He grabs my hand and squeezes it.
“I know exactly what I’m doing, Jewel. I know how hard I can push myself. I know when to stop.”
He might be cooling down but my heart is still racing. Maybe I’m just being dramatic, but I don’t know what I would do if he died on me. I never even had the chance to tell him how much I love him. Things were just starting to get good, and we hardly had a chance to enjoy each other.
I realize I’m shaking, and he wraps his sweaty arm around me, pressing his lips to the top of my head. “Baby, relax,” he says. “Maybe you don’t need to watch us work out anymore. I don’t think you need to get all worked up like this.”
“Brass, I’ve been around the club long enough that I’ve seen it all. Most of the guys fight or fuck or take drugs to cope, and that’s less traumatizing than what I just witnessed.”
“Probably because you like me,” he says, dramatically batting his eyelashes at me. “Just admit it.”
I roll on top of him, pinning him to the ground. I know he could easily toss me fifty yards across the lawn if he wanted to, but he just lets me. “I like… tacos?”
He grabs my face, taking my mouth with his, and I can feel his erection pressing into my thigh. He smells like sweat and spicy deodorant and everything manly, and I would straight up ride him right here if it weren’t for the fact that Lazarus has a front row seat.
Hell, Lazarus is a grown man. He knows how to cover his eyes.
“You guys are so fucking weird,” Lazarus grumbles. “I’m going home. Your ass better be at church tonight.”
Brass throws his middle finger up in the air and doesn’t stop kissing me. As soon as Lazarus’ motorcycle engine starts growing more distant, he hooks his arms around my legs and stands up, carrying me across the yard as I hug my arms around his b
ulking chest.
“I’m fucking gross right now,” he says.
“I like you gross. I like you all dirty,” I growl, nipping at his neck.
“Want to see how dirty we can get in the shower?”
His bright blue eyes burn a hole right through me. I tuck that weird feeling I’m having deep inside, that feeling that whatever he’s coping with is much bigger than anything I understand right now. He’ll come around when he’s ready. We’ll cope together.
In the woods.
In the shower.
On the bed.
Bent over his bike.
Now that I’ve had a taste, there’s no turning back.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jewel:
His body makes me weak in the knees, but it’s everything else about him that turns me on.
He starts the water in the shower and I peel off his t-shirt, running my fingers through his thick chest hair, my lips trembling as he looks down at me like he’s going to absolutely destroy me. My pussy throbs and my heart races so hard and fast, I can hear it ringing through my ears.
He lifts me up effortlessly and sets me on the edge of the bathroom sink, pulling my shirt up off over my head. “I don’t want to break you, babe,” he says. “It’s gonna be real hard.”
I take his hand and guide it between my legs, rubbing up against him, showing him how bad I want him. I’m so wet, his fingers slide effortlessly underneath the fabric of my panties and inside me.
“Break me,” I plead.
His cock juts out from his basketball shorts, grazing up against my leg, and I lick my lips in anticipation.
“Stay there,” he commands. He strips down to nothing and gets in the shower, stepping underneath the water. It runs down his body, glistening, accentuating every cord of his muscles. I want to fling myself off this countertop at him like a slutty rubber band. “I want to watch you.”
“Huh?” I ask.
“You want me to break you? Show me. I want you to be real dirty for me, babe. I want you to show me how bad you want this dick.”
“Brass, you know I was just teasing. You know I like you. I want you,” he fists his cock in his hand and strokes it up and down slowly. “I need you,” I plead.
“And I need you to know what it feels like for me,” he says, raising his eyebrows. “When you walk in a room and all I want to do is kiss your perfect lips. When you leave work and I watch your ass all the way out the door, wishing I could rip your pants off and take you right in front of everyone. Every time I smell your shampoo or hear your voice and I can’t do one fucking thing about it.”
He’s fisting his cock harder, his eyes never leaving my body.
“It hurts, doesn’t it? Wanting something so bad. Being around you hurts.”
“I know how to make it feel good,” I say, sliding my shorts down. I roll my nipples between my fingers, bringing them to hard peaks. “I know how to make you feel good, Brass. I’m right here. All you have to do is grab me.”
My hands travel down my stomach, and I take my thighs and spread them wide open, showing him everything I have.
“So gorgeous,” he growls. I dip a finger inside my wet core, sliding it in and out slowly. “More,” he commands.
I do as he says, locking my eyes to his. “I’m sorry it hurts you so bad to be around me,” I say through choppy breaths. “But being around you is the best feeling in the world. I’m not just saying that. Every time you come in a room, I just feel better. Every time I hear your voice, every time I smell your cologne, every time I catch you pretending like you’re not staring at my ass when I leave work.”
He looks like he just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and it makes me want him even more. This man who hides himself behind ink, hardly says a word, and is feared by anybody who even hears his name uttered melts my heart. I get to see this side of him, the side he tucks away from the rest of the world. This soft side of him is all for me.
He’s mine.
And I’m gonna do whatever it takes to keep him that way.
I know in my heart he’s a good guy. I know in my heart I want to be with him. I know he’s hiding more from me than he wants to let on, but I’ll crack him open eventually.
“Get over here,” he says with a nod, and that’s all it takes for me to leap off the countertop. I step in the shower and he pins me to the wall, holding my arms over my head. The water splashes down over both of us as he takes my nipples in his mouth, teasing and nipping at them until I don’t think I can take anymore.
His wet soapy muscles feel so powerful, as they flex and press into me, like he could fuck me through this shower wall with just one perfect thrust.
His cock finds its way to my tender core, and the moment he’s inside me, I grit my teeth and throw my head back, my body struggling to stretch around his girth. He presses his lips to my ear, “You feel so good.”
“You want me so bad? You have me, Brass. Take me. Take all of me.”
He works his hips back and forth, colliding into me, my toes nearly leaving the floor. It’s just like our first time all over again, except this time, there’s no bullshit between us. There’s nowhere to run. There’s no need to run.
Right here is where I want to be for the rest of time.
He mashes his fingers into my clit until my legs tremble and I go limp in his arms. As he pulls out and covers my back in his warm load, I turn my head and reach for his lips, wishing I could seal this moment forever.
I grab his bottle of soap and squeeze a blob out in my hand, lathering it all over his muscles as he just stands there staring at me with the most loving eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. Pure adoration. It’s more powerful than the orgasm I just felt.
He hugs me tight to his body and we stand underneath the warm shower of water overhead until it turns cold.
“I don’t want to hurt you anymore,” I say, as he wraps a towel around me.
He kisses the top of my head.
“I promise I’ll be good for you, except when I want to be bad for you,” I say, raising my eyebrows.
“Jewel, I think you’re trying to fucking kill me,” he says with a laugh as he picks me up and carries me into the bedroom.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Brass:
I take my seat at the long oak table right next to Lazarus and Lean. I know every eye in this room is on me. I know Bruiser’s really fucking pissed by the way he’s sucking down cigarettes like air, barely stubbing one out before lighting up another one. I don’t care. I did what had to be done. I wasn’t waiting around for him to make nice and strategize with a bunch of fucking whack jobs who were trying to turn my old lady.
I sip at my beer, not trying to get myself fucked up. All I want is to make this quick so I can get back to the hideout. It’s the closest thing I’ve had to home in forever. She’s the only home I need.
Rowdy slams the door behind him, only punctuating the nervous silence of the room. He takes his seat and for one brief minute, I’m just happy everyone is staring at him.
“What?” He shrugs his shoulders and Bruiser rolls his eyes, banging the gavel to bring our meeting to a start.
“I don’t even know where to start,” he says. “Maybe I should just let Rowdy and Brass take the fucking head of the table since they seem to know so much about how to run this club.”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Rowdy says, leaning over the table and staring him right in the eye. Apparently he’s on a mission to get his teeth knocked out today. “Want to spell it out for us, senior?”
“Stop it, Rowdy,” I growl. “I’ll take full responsibility for this shit. I know you told us not to make any moves on Floyd, but I couldn’t just let him walk the streets thinking he pulled one over on us. What if he tried to attack somebody else? We don’t know what the fuck he knows on account of Barney being a rat. We’re trying to start a legitimate business here. We’re trying to make this city a better place. We don’t need a bunch of skele
tons rattling around in our closet.”
“You got that halfway right, son. We don’t know what all he knows or how far his scope runs. Now we’ll never fucking find out.”
“Wait, Barney was a rat?” Lean blurts out. “When the fuck was anybody gonna tell me?”
Everyone at the table starts yelling over each other. Even Bruiser banging the gavel can’t contain the chaos. Everyone is pissed on account of what they know or what they don’t know, and I stand up and slam my fist off the wall.
“I’m the enforcer of this club,” I say, clearing my throat. The room gets really quiet again. “We had a violent criminal kidnapping and attacking our own. He was attacking the very fiber of this MC. What the fuck was I supposed to do? I cut the head off the snake. Problem solved.”
“Problem solved, huh?” Bruiser asks. “Then what are you doing at the hideout still? If everything is taken care of and we have nothing to worry about, what are you doing out there other than getting your dick wet?”
“She can’t be by herself right now, Bruiser. She’s getting better, but she’s not completely out of the woods,” Rowdy chimes in.
“Okay,” Bruiser says, his lips turning up into a sneer. “So you’re the enforcer of this club and a medical professional now, Brass? I’m not buying this bullshit. If you handled the problem, she needs to be back in town and your ass needs to be back to work. Unless there’s something else you’re hiding from?”
I know Bruiser can see through bullshit a mile away, and I know Jewel probably would rather be back at her house instead of isolated from the world. I know I’m being selfish keeping her out there, all to myself, but there’s a big part of me that’s afraid if she isn’t reliant on me for everything, she won’t want to rely on me for anything.