Rust

by J. M. Walker

  “What else? You haven’t told me what Rowan was talking about at the hospital, Stone. I don’t expect to know your whole life history in a matter of minutes but I need you to help me understand.” I cupped his cheek. “Please.”

  “It was almost two years ago.” He covered my hand, squeezing it in his. “I had just come home from an assignment. Sienna and I got along well. We had both agreed we were better off as friends. So that’s what we did. We lived together but we were more roommates and we were fine with that. It was odd as fuck but it worked. Luna was with us both. She had her parents. It was all we cared about. I had gone out to get some groceries for them and when I came back ...” He took a deep breath, his broad chest rising and falling before he met my gaze. “These men were there. Everything next happened fast. I was only gone for fifteen minutes. Luna needed formula because Sienna couldn’t breastfeed. The bastards were waiting for me to leave.” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have left.”

  My heart thumped harder the more he spoke.

  “I came home and I had no idea what was going on until I walked into the kitchen. Sienna was on the floor. One of the men was fucking her. The other had a gun in her mouth.”

  “Oh, God, Stone.” I squeezed his hand.

  “A third man came up behind me and knocked me out. I didn’t even see him. All of the training I had over the years and it all went to shit when I saw them killing her. I woke up to the sight of her lifeless eyes staring back at me.”

  ***

  (Stone)

  No one knew what happened that night so many months ago. My sister and Rowan knew but they didn’t know what I had done after. They didn’t know how much it broke me or how every time I looked into my daughter’s eyes, I was reminded of that night. Luna could have died along with Sienna. She didn’t. Thank fuck for that.

  The words leaving my mouth enveloped me in a blanket of peace. It had been a long time since I felt at ease with myself. Telling Creena what happened and seeing only hurt and anger in her eyes showed me this woman was the one. She was what I had needed all of this time.

  “Did you kill them?” Creena asked an hour later in bed while I held her against me.

  “I was able to find two of them a couple weeks later but I hadn’t found the third. That’s who we think attacked Aria.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Sienna had taken money from them. She said it rightfully belonged to her. She was just stealing it back.” I explained to Creena about the diamonds and leather-bound book and how I had put my family at risk because of my desperation. “I don’t know if Sienna was lying or if the money was in fact hers. I’ll never know. I only did what she would have wanted. She stole it for Luna. Our daughter.”

  Creena turned onto her stomach, cupping my cheek. “You had to think fast.”

  “But I made the wrong decision. If they would have killed Aria, I would never forgive myself. I still won’t for the shit they did to her.” He looked away.

  “Hey.” I squeezed his jaw, forcing him to look back at me. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Yes, maybe you could have done things differently but you had to do what you thought was best. Trust me, I’ve made quick decisions that I thought were right but they turned out not to be.” I shrugged. “It happens.”

  “Why are you so damn perfect?” he asked, kissing my palm.

  “I ...” My heart stuttered. “I’m far from perfect.”

  “You’re perfect to me.” He pushed me onto my back. “Creena, I’m falling—”

  “Don’t.” I sat up, not needing that confession at the moment. As much as I wanted to hear him say those three words, knowing I felt the same way, I couldn’t deal with it. Not yet.

  “Baby.” he grabbed my hand. “Come here.”

  “I can’t hear those words. Not right now. Not yet. Not when all of this shit is going on still.” I looked at him over my shoulder. “Please don’t say them.”

  “But I need to tell you how I feel.” He grabbed my hand, placing light pecks on my knuckles. “I know you feel the same way. And those words will only make us stronger.”

  "Yes. I do. Of course I feel the same way but it’s a distraction.” I had felt this way for a while now. When we weren’t together, I ached for him. And when we were together, I couldn’t get enough. I was addicted but it was more than that. He was safe and downright terrifying all at the same time.

  “Tell me you want more from this.” He pulled my arm gently but I refused to budge. “Please, Creena.”

  “Stone,” I shook my head, pulling my hand from his. “I want more but confessing these feelings for each other makes it too dangerous. It’ll be distracting. We can’t be distracted.” I was already distracted enough and my brother wanted him dead. But stupid me still never told him because I had an I-am-an-Island complex.

  Stone’s jaw clenched.

  “Where were you before you came here?” I asked, needing to know how deep he had fallen within himself after what happened to his sister. When he didn’t answer, I continued. “Did you go work out? Did you look for the bastard who attacked Aria?” I smacked his arm when he looked away. “Stone, talk to me. You wanted to tell me how you feel about me but I need you to tell me what the hell is going on.”

  “I didn’t do shit,” he snapped, his voice rough and gravelly. “I wanted to. Fuck me, did I ever want to but as soon as I got close enough to take him out, I hesitated.”

  “You found him?” I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. Stone had secrets. Dark, terrifying secrets. I knew what he did before joining Vice-One was kept on the down-low.

  “I did,” he muttered, staring at our joined hands.

  “What did you do before joining Vice-One?” I blurted, my cheeks heating at my outburst.

  He frowned. “Why?”

  “You dropped me off a couple hours ago, disappeared, and now you’re telling me you actually found the fucker who attacked your sister? And you took the first two bastards out already. Come on, Stone. I’m not stupid. You know my history.” Although he didn’t know my current. “You had help, didn’t you?”

  “I have been following the bastard who attacked Sienna for a while. And when Aria was attacked, everything in me told me it was the same fucker from the night Sienna died. But again, I can’t prove it. I’ve been hoping he would lead me back to the main hub of it all. Something dark is coming. More dangerous than what we’ve already witnessed. I know it. I just can’t prove it.”

  Crossing my legs in front of me, I wrapped the blanket tighter around my naked body. “I feel it too. All of us are on edge. My brother is demanding things of me I can’t do. I’m not sure what’s going on but even he is being more of an asshole than usual.”

  “What is he asking of you?” Stone grabbed my hand, linking our fingers.

  I swallowed hard. How the hell could I tell the man I was sleeping with I was hired to take him out? And how the fuck could I forget that? My stomach tumbled, dropping to the floor beneath me.

  “Unbelievable.” Stone laughed, shaking his head. “You expect me to open up but you won’t tell me shit.”

  “What the hell do you want from me?” I ground out, pulling from his grip.

  “I want you to stop trying to deal with this on your own. I’m here. Use me, Creena.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  Suddenly, I was forced onto my back with Stone in my face. I gasped, staring up into his dark cold gaze.

  “Do not roll your eyes at me,” he growled, shoving his waist between my legs.

  “Or else what?” I bit back a moan at the feel of his strength. His power and domination won out, taking control of my very heart. But the need to push him, to test and see how far I could take it, fell from my lips the moment I met him months ago.

  Stone kissed the side of my neck, his teeth sinking into the sensitive skin below my ear. “You enjoy challenging me.”

  “Yes.” I wrapped my legs around his hips. “You enjoy it too.”

  He lifted his head
, staring down at me with an intensity I had come to crave. “Tell me what your brother wants.”

  “It’s between him and I.”

  “Creena.” He pushed himself into me, his cock resting against my inner thigh. “Tell me.”

  My body burned, my hips involuntarily rubbing against him while I remained silent.

  His mouth turned up into an evil grin while he slid into me in one violent thrust.

  I cried out, my back bowing off the bed at the delicious pain. “Stone.”

  “Tell me what your brother wants you to do,” he demanded, holding my arms above my head. “Tell me, Creena.”

  “You can’t just fuck me when you want to get answers out of me,” I glared up at him, struggling beneath him.

  “No?” He pushed deeper into me, forcing a moan from my mouth. “Tell me.”

  “Why the hell do you want to know?” I attempted to shove him off of me but he was too damn strong.

  “Because it’s bothering you and I want to help.” He held my wrists in one hand, cupping my jaw with the other.

  “You can’t help,” I whispered. “No one can help.” I lifted my hips, taking from him what I wanted. What I always wanted.

  Stone held my hands above my head. Instead of arguing, he brushed his mouth along mine before slipping his tongue between my lips.

  The kiss was gentle, sweet, and so damn hot, my skin burned from the mere intensity of it.

  My thoughts were jumbled together. His body was deep in mine, his cock thick and hard while his hands remained gentle. It fucked with my head but I still refused to tell him what he demanded of me.

  I was a slave to the touch of his rough embrace and there was nothing either of us could do to stop it.

  GETTING EVERYTHING OFF my mind eased some of the stress resting firmly on my shoulders. But Creena was still hiding something. I wasn’t sure what or even why, but I knew it had to do with me. She played it off like it was no big deal but I could see it eating away at her.

  When it came to her brother, she did everything she could to please him. It pissed me off, knowing the fucker was taking advantage of her. Family didn’t do that. It wasn’t right.

  It had been a couple days since I had the nightmare. Every time I was near Asher, he would glare my way and question what the fuck I was doing without even saying the words.

  I had no idea what I was doing but I knew I was falling in love with Creena. She felt the same way but didn’t want the words said. I complied. For the moment.

  “Hey, Stone.” Creena came up beside me one late afternoon while I worked out in the King’s Harlots gym. “Work out with me?”

  I cupped her nape and placed a soft peck on her mouth. “The things I did to your body this morning not enough of a workout for you, baby girl?”

  She shivered, pushing out of my hold. “As much as I always enjoy what you do to me,” she ran her hands up and down her arms. “I need to fight.”

  I grunted, understanding exactly where she was coming from. “Put your hands up and block me.”

  Her eyes darkened, a small smile forming on her lips. “Thank you.”

  ***

  (Creena)

  I had seen Coby and Brogan spar together. It was beautiful in the way they danced, watching each other’s moves, knowing when the other would strike first. I was sure it always led to sex as a form of therapy.

  I pulled my arm back, swinging for Stone’s face but he was fast and blocked me. We went back and forth for the next twenty minutes.

  He hit.

  I blocked.

  I swung.

  I missed.

  He was good but I was also just warming up. I was better. It was the only thing in my life I had every right to be cocky over. Being trained to fight at a young age, I had to defend myself against the men who I was contracted out to kill.

  “When was your last good fight?” Stone asked, side stepping around me.

  “A couple years ago. With my brother.” I remembered taking him out and kicking his ass because he told me I couldn’t hit him.

  “How long did it take you to knock him out?”

  I smiled. Stone knew me well. “Ten minutes because I was going easy on him.” I kicked my foot out, knocking Stone onto his back. I straddled his waist, placing a hard peck on his mouth. Much to my surprise, he flipped me onto my back.

  “Distracting me, pet?” he asked, peering down at me.

  I shivered at the term of endearment. “Never.” And before he knew it, I pushed him off of me and was on my feet. “Why would I do such a thing?”

  His brows narrowed, a twinkle of amusement hitting his dark eyes. “As long as I’m the only man you’re distracting, I don’t give a shit about anything else.”

  “Don’t worry, baby boy.” I shook out my arms, stretching them up and over my head. “You are all I want.” I knew I should have told him how I felt but those three words hanging over our heads were distracting enough without us even saying them. Stone showed me how he felt with the touch of his hands and kiss of his lips. He took my breath every time he looked at me.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked, taking a step toward me.

  “How delicious you are,” I purred.

  He opened my mouth to respond when a loud rumble vibrated through the room.

  “What the hell is that?” I asked, frowning.

  “Jay’s father’s club?” Stone handed me a bottle of water.

  I took it from him and swallowed the cool liquid while heading out into the hall. “Something’s going on.”

  Stone grunted, coming up beside me. “Have you girls gone for a ride in a while?”

  “No.”

  He nodded toward the entrance to the club. “Then who are those women?”

  I followed his gaze, my stomach sinking. “I have no idea. I’ve never seen them before.”

  “Are they another chapter of the King’s Harlots?” Stone asked just as everyone filed out into the main area of the club.

  “I ...” I shrugged. “Brogan,” I called out, nodding toward my sister standing by the entranceway. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m not sure.” She glanced at us. “You have my back?”

  “Fucking right we do,” I told her, following her outside. Brogan and I were the only Harlots at the club. But knowing Stone, Lian, Henley and Coby were with us as well helped me feel somewhat better about these strangers randomly showing up out of nowhere.

  “Hey.” Brogan jutted her chin forth, narrowing her eyes at a woman who slid off a bike first. “You’re on private property.”

  “I know.” The woman cracked her knuckles, stretching her arms over her head. Her bright blue eyes slid over all of us before landing on Brogan. “You the president of the King’s Harlots?”

  “Depends.” Brogan crossed her arms under her chest. “Who’s asking?”

  “Can we chat inside?” the woman asked while a smaller female slid off the back of her bike.

  There were only three women but the beautiful machines they came riding in on made it sound like there were a group of them. I had to give it to them. The Harleys they rode were loud and gorgeous.

  “Fine.” Brogan turned around and headed back inside the club with Coby following right behind her.

  I didn’t know what the hell was going on but having these strangers show up on our doorstep was unnerving as fuck.

  “SOMEONE NEEDS TO tell me what the fuck is going on before I show you what I actually do for a living,” Brogan said, twisting the chair back and forth that she was sitting in.

  Laughter erupted through the room but not from the strangers. Were they even an MC? No colors adorned their leather cuts. No patchwork, either. What the hell did they want with us?

  “We came here asking for safety.” The woman looked behind her at her two friends. “My sisters and I have traveled long and hard. We've come from Ontario, Canada.”

  That explained the accent.

  “We’re a puppet club but we’re no one’s bi
tch.” The woman’s gaze hardened, her brows narrowing in the center. “We’ve seen shit. Done shit and had no choice in the matter but with us ...” She looked behind her again.

  One of the women nodded. She was smaller, short like Brogan was but her eyes hid wisdom and a darkness that made me shift uncomfortably in my seat.

  “Fuck it.” The woman blew out a slow breath. “I’m just going to tell you.”

  “That would be nice,” Brogan muttered.

  “We know you’re working on bringing down that human trafficking ring. The Organization as they’re calling it.” The woman paused. “We’ve worked with them.”

  Well, that got everyone’s attention.

  Stone shifted beside me.

  Lian and Henley stood from the couch they were sitting on.

  But what I noticed most of all was the look of fear flashing in Brogan’s gaze.

  “Why the hell would you come here asking for safety?” she asked, her voice lowering.

  “Because.” The woman’s cheeks reddened. “We were victims. Just like you.”

  “How the fuck do you know that?” Coby asked, his voice raising.

  “Baby,” Brogan whispered, shaking her head.

  “No.” He cupped her cheek. “I won’t have strangers coming into your home—”

  “Listen” —the woman placed her hands on the table, leaning forward— “you clearly care about each other. All of you. All we ask is a place to lay low for a couple of days.”

  “I have a question,” I blurted. I would have raised my hand but I didn’t think anyone would appreciate my humor. “If you say you’re a puppet club, what exactly does that mean? Are you running from another MC? Do we have more shit to deal with besides this organization? Because I know they wouldn’t care what job you have.” I lifted my hand, stopping her from speaking further. “And I also know that none of you are patched. So, whatever puppet club you’re trying to be isn’t going to fly with us.”